Why Can't I Remember?
by FicFanofFanFic
Summary: Post Red John, CBI still intact, no island exile. Jane & Lisbon are keeping their relationship a secret. She'd wanted to make sure they could make things work first. They'd been living together for 4 months and Jane was ready to let everyone know. Just when Lisbon agreed to make their relationship public, she mysteriously goes missing and Jane is the prime suspect.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is set post Red John, with the CBI still intact and no 2-year island exile. Jane and Lisbon were keeping their relationship a secret. She'd wanted to make sure they could make things work before anyone found out. They'd been living together for 4 months and Jane was ready to let everyone know. Just when Lisbon had agreed to make their relationship public, she mysteriously goes missing and Jane is the prime suspect in her disappearance.**

 **Chapter 1**

"Dammit Jane, I'm so tired of your crap."

"Lisbon, please. I'm sorry." Jane said.

"I don't want to deal with this right now. I'm going home."

"Just talk to me." Jane said, grabbing Teresa's arm.

"Cho, I'm leaving. I'm going home." Lisbon yelled to her second in command.

"Ok boss." Cho answered.

"Jane. I said I don't want to deal with this."

When the elevator arrived, both Lisbon and Jane got in.

"He's an idiot." Cho remarked. "He knows when she's in that mood, just leave her alone."

"Yeah." Rigsby commented.

"We haven't had a case in a few days, so I wonder what he did to make her mad. I haven't heard about him pissing anyone off. Maybe he'll learn one day." Van Pelt said.

"I doubt it. He thinks he can apologize and smile at her and everything's okay. Idiot." Cho said.

When the doors closed, Teresa leaned over and gave Jane a kiss. "Sorry. Hope that wasn't too harsh."

Jane looked at Teresa. "How much longer are we going to keep our relationship a secret? I know you wanted to keep it quiet until we figured out if we could make this work. We've been living together for the last four months and things are great, so I believe we're solid."

"I know, I'm sorry. Thank you for agreeing to keep it secret for a while. You're right. The longer we keep this from the team, the madder they will be when it comes out. Let's invite everyone over this weekend and we'll tell them." Lisbon said.

"Really?" Jane's face beamed with excitement.

"Yes, really. It has been wonderful. I'm ready for people to know." Lisbon answered. "That doesn't mean there will be any public displays of affection at the office. Any PDAs and I'll punch you in the nose. Understand?"

"Yes, loud and clear." Jane said, still beaming.

When the elevator reached the first floor, Lisbon and Jane stepped off and headed towards her car. They'd been using their own cars so they weren't seen arriving or leaving together. However, this morning they were running late after a morning love making session and decided to take Teresa's car so they could grab a quick breakfast on the way to work.

"Do you want to stop at the Thai place for dinner?" Jane asked.

"That sounds good. We can make plans for the weekend." Lisbon answered.

"That sounds even better." Jane replied.

SAC PD officer, Andrew Dean, noticed a vehicle on the side of road up ahead as he patrolled his area. It was kind of late for people to be in this area this time of night. If they were, it usually wasn't good. As he got closer, he noticed a person sitting on the ground behind the vehicle. He quickly pulled over and cautiously exited his vehicle.

"Sir." the officer said. When the man didn't respond, the officer walked a little closer and said a little louder, "Sir."

The man still didn't respond. The officer then walked over to the man and reached out for his hand that was sitting in his lap. He felt for a pulse and found it strong and steady. He made a cursory inspection of the man, but didn't see any visible signs of injury and he didn't smell alcohol on him. He radioed for back up and for an ambulance. As he continued to watch the man while waiting for others to reach the scene, he noticed the man's other hand clutching something in his fist laying by his side.

Once the officer put on a pair of rubber gloves, he reached down and opened the man's hand. In the palm of his hand was a gold cross necklace covered in blood.

He quickly cuffed the man's hands, laying them in the man's lap. He retrieved evidence bags from his vehicle and placed the bloody necklace inside the first bag and labeled it. He continued to watch the man for any signs he was regaining consciousness. Once he was satisfied the man was still out, he started looking around the vehicle for another victim, since the man on the ground didn't appear to be bleeding anywhere. When he shined his flashlight on top of the truck of the car, he found a bloody palm print. He continued to walk around the vehicle, shining his flashlight around.

When he approached the driver's side of the car, he found blood on the console and blood on the steering wheel. There wasn't a great deal of blood, but enough that the person the blood belonged to needed medical attention.

The ambulance arrived as well as back up. Officer Dean radioed in the license plate of the vehicle. Once the paramedics had evaluated the man on the ground and got him on the stretcher, he was able to retrieve the man's wallet from his pant's pocket. The license inside identified the man as Patrick Jane. He knew that name, he was aware of who this man was. He also knew he worked for the CBI. What was Patrick Jane doing in this part of town and who did the blood and the necklace belong to? When he was given the identity of the owner of the vehicle he was even more puzzled. The vehicle belonged to Senior CBI Agent, Teresa Lisbon.

Cho had been working late trying to get all his paperwork done before they caught another case. He was just getting ready to leave when the phone on his desk rang.

"Cho." Cho said as he answered his phone, hoping this was not about a new case.

"Agent Kimball Cho?" the person on the other end asked.

"Yes, this is Agent Cho. How can I help you?" Cho asked.

"This is Officer Dean with SAC PD. Is Agent Lisbon in?"

"No. She left a couple of hours ago. Can I help you with something?" Cho answered and asked.

"We found her vehicle on Longo Street. Does your office have a case down here?" Officer Dean asked.

Cho had a bad feeling. What was Lisbon doing in that area? "Uh, no we don't. Was Agent Lisbon not with her vehicle?"

"No. There is no sign of her. When I pulled up to her vehicle, there was an unconscious man sitting on the ground behind the vehicle. We searched the vehicle and the surrounding area but we haven't found anyone else. There was blood inside the vehicle and a bloody handprint on the truck. The man was clutching something in his hand and when I opened his hand, there was a gold cross necklace covered in blood."

Cho's heart sank and his pulse sped up. "Do you know who the man is?" Cho asked

"Yes, Patrick Jane." Officer Dean answered.

Cho jumped up from his seat. "Jane? Where is he now?"

"Sacramento General."

"I'll be right there!" Cho said as he hung up and ran to the elevator.

Cho entered the Emergency Room entrance looking for Officer Dean. He needed to know what was going on. Where was Lisbon and what happened to Jane?

"Agent Cho?" Cho heard someone call his name.

"Yes, I'm Cho. Where is Patrick Jane?"

"He's being examined right now. When I found him, he was breathing good but unconscious. I just came out here to wait for you. He was still unconscious." Officer Dean explained.

"Anything on Agent Lisbon?"

"No. We found her purse in the vehicle, her wallet and cell phone were inside. The wallet appeared to be intact and the cell phone was fine. Her purse didn't look like it had been gone through. Mr. Jane's wallet was in his back pocket, his CBI badge was in his jacket pocket and his cell phone was also in his jacket pocket. He also had on a watch. So it appeared nothing was taken. The only thing that appeared to be out of place was the blood we found and the blood covered necklace in his hand. Did the necklace belong to Agent Lisbon?"

"Yes." Cho answered, knowing Lisbon never took that necklace off. If it was in Jane's hands, covered in blood, something was wrong, terribly wrong.

"I'm sorry Agent Cho. I wish I had more information for you. Are you close with Agent Lisbon?" Officer Dean asked.

"Yes. She's my boss—and my friend. Jane is also my friend. I would like to see him. I need to be the one to tell him Lisbon is missing when he wakes up." Cho said.

"I'll have to get with my supervisor. He is a suspect in the disappearance of another person right now. I know he works for the CBI, but the investigation is ours right now. I mean, you know how protocol is?" Dean said. He could tell he didn't want to get on Agent Cho's bad side, but until they could figure out what happened to Agent Lisbon and if the blood was hers, he had to do everything by the book.

"I understand. But you have to understand; Jane lost his family over ten years ago to the serial killer Red John and he took Red John down. He's very close to Agent Lisbon and if something has happened to her, he will not take the news well. I'm not sure how he will react, but I can say, it won't be pretty." Cho explained.

"I know the story Agent Cho. I don't think there is anyone in California that doesn't know the story. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the CBI and your team for taking down Red John and the Blake Association. However, the facts we have right now don't look good. Until Mr. Jane can tell us what happened and where Agent Lisbon is, I have to treat him as a suspect in a possible homicide case." Officer Dean explained.

Cho couldn't believe what he was hearing. This couldn't be happening. "One thing I know without a doubt, Officer Dean, is that Patrick Jane would NEVER harm Agent Lisbon. They're partners and you know as an officer, partners are close, very protective of each other. He is very protective of her."

"So they got along really well? No problems between them?" the officer asked.

Cho knew if other people in the office were interviewed about Lisbon and Jane, their argument as they left work would come to light. He knew that any one that didn't know the partners wouldn't understand the fight was not really a fight. It was just Jane irritating Lisbon. He would just have to try to diffuse the situation before it was taken out of context.

"Well, they argue and bicker like a married couple. Jane can be very irritating; he works differently than most other people. He rubs people the wrong sometimes which causes trouble for Lisbon, but in the end, Jane always smooths things over. They had one of their usual arguments before leaving the office this evening. Nothing other than one of their usual disagreements over something he had done or someone he had angered." Cho explained.

"So they fought shortly before Mr. Jane was found?"

"It wasn't a fight; it was a disagreement. Nothing any different than their usual disagreements. Look Officer Dean, as I said, Patrick would NEVER do anything to harm Teresa."

"Okay, Agent Cho. I will need to speak to your other colleagues that were in the office when Mr. Jane and Agent Lisbon left work."

"That's fine. Agent Grace Van Pelt and Agent Wayne Rigsby are the other two members of our team. They were both there when Lisbon and Jane left. Can I see Jane now?"

"I'll go back with you Agent Cho. I hope you understand; I'll need to be present while you talk to him."

"I understand." Cho said.

Cho and Officer Dean walked into the emergency room cubicle where Jane lay on the gurney. He appeared to still be unconscious.

"Has a tox screen been run?" Cho asked.

"Yes, it has." Officer Dean answered.

Cho turned back to Jane. He reached out and shook Jane's shoulder. "Jane? Hey, Jane." However, Jane didn't respond or wake up.

A doctor walked into the cubicle. "Dr. Oliver. This is Agent Cho from the CBI. He works with Mr. Jane."

"Dr. Oliver? Do you know why Jane is still unconscious?" Cho asked.

"I'm not sure at this point. We are running some test to determine if some kind of drug is involved or if it is physical. His x-rays are negative and the CAT scans are clear too. He doesn't have any type of skull fracture. So at this point, I'm leaning towards some type of drug." Dr. Oliver explained.

"Could it be psychological?" Cho asked.

"What do you mean Agent Cho?" Dr. Oliver asked.

"Jane lost his wife and young child to a serial killer, he found their bodies. He spent ten years hunting for that serial killer. That caused some deep emotion scars as you can imagine. He's very close to Agent Lisbon and she is possibly missing from where he was found. If he witnessed someone take her and or harm her, could he have suffered some type of emotional trauma that would keep him unconscious? Cho asked.

"Yes. That could be a possibility. If he witnessed something traumatic to someone he is close to, his mind could have shut down to protect itself."

"Thank you Dr. Oliver." Cho said.

"I will let you know as soon as possible if the tox screen shows any type of drug is involved." Dr. Oliver added.

Cho turned back to Jane. If something happened to Teresa, he didn't think Jane would ever recover from that. He knew Jane would blame himself for whatever had happened. 'Where are you Teresa and what happened?' Cho said to himself.

"Jane, we need you to wake up. Help us find out what happened to Teresa." Cho said to an unconscious Jane.

"The blood found at the scene belongs to Agent Teresa Lisbon." Officer Dean said, hanging up his cell phone. "I'm going to have to place Patrick Jane in custody on suspicion of murder."

"There's no evidence that Lisbon is dead and no evidence that Jane did anything to her." Cho said, raising his voice.

"Agent Cho. If you were faced with the facts we have at the present time, and not personally involved with the suspect and possible victim, you would do the same thing. Think about it. You know I'm only doing my job. I promise I will not jump to any conclusions in this case, but I have to act on the evidence before me right now." Officer Dean explained to the distraught Agent.

Cho took a deep breath. He knew what Officer Dean was saying was true. If he had the same evidence in a case, he would place Jane under arrest. It didn't make it any easier to accept. Jane had become his friend, a good friend. He knew without a doubt Jane would never lay a hand on Teresa. He'd never do anything to physically harm her, he'd do everything he could to keep her safe. Something happened out there where Lisbon's car was found with Jane clutching her bloody necklace. Cho knew he had to find out what happened.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the great feedback. It'll be angsty for a while! Bruno Heller still owns The Mentalist and I still don't!**

Chapter 2

Teresa had a splitting headache. She tried to open her eyes but it just made her head hurt worse. She decided she would lay there a little while longer and when she could open her eyes without so much pain she'd call in and let Cho know she'd be late.

What seemed like just a short time later, she was able to open her eyes with less pain. 'Why does my head feel wet? My head must have been hurting so much I was sweating.' she thought to herself.

She slowly sat up. As she did, she ran her right hand through her hair. When she brought her hand down, it was covered in blood.

"TERESA! TERESA! NO STOP. STOP. PLEASE. LEAVE HER ALONE." Jane screamed.

Cho jumped up when Jane screamed. He reached out and grabbed Jane's arm.

"NO. LEAVE ME ALONE. TERESA! TERESA!" Jane screamed again, this time sobbing.

"Jane! Jane! Wake up. It's Cho."

Jane settled down and slowly opened his eyes. He stared straight up at the ceiling. Cho watched as tears rolled out of the corners of Jane's eyes.

"She's gone isn't she?" Jane whispered.

Cho looked at Officer Dean, hoping he would allow him to explain to Jane what was happening. When Cho saw Dean nod his head, he looked down at Jane.

"We haven't found her yet Jane. We're looking. Can you tell us what happened?" Cho asked.

"I can't go through this again Cho. If she's dead…" Jane said with a sob escaping.

"Jane don't. We WILL find her. What happened?" Cho said.

It was quiet for some time. Cho wasn't sure if Jane was going to be able to tell them what happened. Didn't know if he could. Cho would give him the time he needed. He knew that Jane needed time to think and work through all the things in his mind. When Officer Dean started to say something, Cho motioned for him to wait. He was glad Dean acquiesced.

"When we left the CBI, we stopped at that Thai place we all like. We ate dinner and decided to go to a movie." Jane said, stopping for a few minutes. "We went over to the Century Downtown Plaza. We pulled into a parking spot, I was driving. Lisbon had her cell phone out looking at the movie times and we were deciding what to see."

Jane lay quietly for a few minutes. Cho could tell Jane was getting to the painful part. He also knew Jane needed time. He glanced over to Officer Dean to make sure he didn't say anything and disrupt Jane's thought process.

"I had my head turned towards Teresa when I opened my door. As soon as I opened it, I felt a sting on my neck, like a bee sting. I…I heard Teresa scream but I felt like I couldn't move." Jane continued.

"Can we get someone in here to look for a puncture on his neck? Also, let the doctor know." Cho said to Officer Dean.

Officer Dean stepped to the door and motioned for one of the nurses. "Can you call Dr. Oliver?"

"Yes sir." the nurse answered.

"Okay Jane. What happened next?" Cho asked.

"It's like it was a dream. I couldn't move but I could hear and somewhat see. I heard the other door open and I heard Teresa scream." he said taking a deep breath. "I heard voices I didn't recognize. Cho, she was screaming my name. Teresa was screaming my name and I couldn't help her. I can't…I can't…" Jane cried.

"Jane. We'll find her. She's strong. She's a fighter." Cho said.

Jane was quiet again for some time. Cho could see the turmoil raging in Jane. The doctor walked in before Jane could continue.

"The nurse said you wanted to see me."

"Yes. Jane said he felt a sting on his neck, like a bee sting. Then he couldn't move. Could he have been injected with something to immobilize him?" Cho asked.

"That's possible. It could've been Propofol, Ketamine, some type of opioid or other drug of that nature. Let me look at his neck. I'll put in orders to run further tests on his blood." Dr. Oliver said as he approached Jane.

Dr. Oliver looked over Jane's neck from his hairline to his shoulders. "Here's a puncture wound, close to his ear. Does this feel like the area where you felt the sting?" asked Dr. Oliver as he touched the area where he found the puncture wound.

Jane nodded his head. "Yes, that's the place."

"Let me get a swab and I will take a sample of the area to see if there is any trace of a drug left." Dr. Oliver explained.

Cho could see Jane slowly retreating into himself. Cho knew he needed to get to Jane somehow before he was completely lost.

"Jane. You can't retreat into yourself. Don't go down that road. You have to be strong for Teresa." Cho said.

Jane's eyes were closed, but Cho could see the tears falling again. He waited for Jane to be able to collect his thoughts.

"I love her." Jane said quietly.

"I know you do Jane." Cho responded.

Jane opened his eyes. "No Cho, you don't understand. I love her. I am IN love with her."

"I know Jane. I've known that for a while. It's been pretty obvious for some time." Cho said.

"We've been living together for the last four months. Teresa wanted to keep it a secret for a while. She probably thought you'd all think she was crazy." Jane said with a slight smile. "We'd just decided tonight to invite everyone over this weekend to tell you."

"Then you have even more of a reason to stay strong for her. She's going to need you when we find her." Cho explained.

"I can't lose her Cho, I can't. I won't survive this time." Jane said.

"Stay positive Jane. You have to. Officer Dean of SAC PD here has some questions for you. Some may not be easy to answer. Just tell him what you can."

"Okay." Jane said.

"Mr. Jane. I'm Officer Dean with SAC PD. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense. Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney present?"

"I'm under arrest?" Jane asked stunned.

"Mr. Jane. I have to treat you as a suspect until I know what happened out there." Dean explained.

"Okay." Jane agreed.

"I'm going to be recording this conversation for the record."

Okay." Jane agreed again.

"Please state you full name."

"Patrick Alexander Jane."

"State your address?"

"8223 Market Street. Sacramento, California." Jane stated. Cho knew this was Lisbon's address.

"Do you live alone or with someone else." Officer Dean continued.

"I live with Agent Teresa Lisbon. It's her house." Jane answered.

"How long have you and Agent Lisbon lived together?"

"Four months."

"Where did you live prior to moving in with Agent Lisbon?

"I haven't had a permanent address since my family was killed. I still own my house in Malibu, but I lived in several motels and spent many nights at the CBI."

"Can you describe your relationship with Agent Lisbon?"

"We have a great relationship. The past six months have been wonderful. We starting dating a month or so after I took down Red John. We'd always had a good relationship, but if you ask other people they would probably say we had a brother-sister relationship. We bickered a lot and I drove her crazy."

"So you had a contentious relationship prior to dating?" Officer Dean asked.

Cho didn't like where this questioning was going. It had to be apparent to Dean that Jane was genuinely grieving over Lisbon's disappearance.

Jane looked puzzled. "No, we didn't have a contentious relationship by any means. It was my desire to hunt down Red John and make him pay for my family's' deaths. However, Teresa had a very positive influence on me. She helped me see that my life meant more than the revenge I wanted. I did drive her crazy, but in a fun way. I pretty much knew how far I could push her."

"Does Agent Lisbon own a gold cross necklace?" Dean asked.

Jane quickly looked over at Cho, not liking the look on his friend's face. "Yes she does. Why do you ask?"

"Mr. Jane. We found you behind Agent Lisbon's vehicle. You were clutching a blood covered gold cross necklace in your hand."

Jane felt like someone had punched him in the chest. He was having a hard time breathing. His monitors started going off. Two nurses quickly entered the room and ordered Cho and Officer Dean out of the room.

"What the hell was that?" Cho demanded when he and Officer Dean stepped outside the room.

"I have to ask questions regarding the evidence we've found. I know the questions will be hard for him but I have to ask them. You know that."

"You saw him. He's obviously devastated about her disappearance. Do you actually think he had something to do with that?" Cho asked becoming angrier as the conversation continued.

"At this point Agent Cho, I don't know what happened. All I know is that I have a woman missing and a man found at the scene of her disappearance clutching her gold necklace covered in her blood."

"Look, I understand as a friend of both Agent Lisbon and Patrick Jane, you can't just depend on my word. Talk to other people in our office. They'll all tell you, Jane is fiercely protective of Lisbon. He always has been. He is also the most loyal person I have ever met. He wore his wedding ring until the day he took down Red John out of loyalty to his dead wife. Now that he and Lisbon are a couple, I know he is and will be as fiercely loyal to her. She's been a close friend of mine longer than she's known Jane. If I even thought he'd do something to hurt her, I'd be the first one to deal with him. But I know that will never happen. He had to have been injected with something that incapacitated him because I know he would have given his life trying to protect her. I'd bet MY life on that."

"But you didn't know they were living together?" Dean asked.

Cho was furious at this point. "No. I didn't know. Am I surprised? Not at all. Am I surprised they didn't tell anyone? Not at all. They're both very private people. We work together. I know Teresa would've wanted to make sure they could live together and work together before she told the team. Jane would've agreed to handle it however she chose to."

"Okay. I want to talk to the other members of your team and other people in your office. I'd also like to get permission from Mr. Jane to search the house." Dean stated.

"Fine. That's great. Do you mind if I'm present? It's one of our Agents missing. I'm sure our office wants to work in coordination with your department."

"I will check with my supervisors, but I don't think that will be a problem. As long as we don't butt heads over the investigation." Dean said.

"I don't think there'll be a problem. My goal is to find out where Agent Lisbon is and bring her home." Cho stated emphatically.

Cho and Dean entered Jane's room once the nurses left. They were informed Jane had been given a sedative and the doctor preferred he not be upset again until they could figure out for sure what injuries he might have and, if any, what kind of chemicals may be in his body.

Cho and Dean had agreed. Jane appeared to be sleeping again. Cho walked over to Jane and touched his arm. "Jane. Hey." Cho said.

"Uh, yeah, Cho. I'm awake." Jane said groggily.

"Officer Dean wants permission to search the house." Cho said.

"Yeah, that's fine." Jane said. "There's a key on my keychain"

"Okay Mr. Jane. There will be a police officer outside your room. If you think of anything else that might help us, just let the officer know."

"Okay." Jane said, trying to stay awake. "Cho? Please find her."

"I will Jane." Cho said. "I promise I will."

Cho and Officer Dean entered Lisbon's house using Jane's key. Cho felt like he was violating Lisbon's privacy and he didn't like it. He'd been there many times, but always by invitation. They looked around downstairs and didn't find anything out of place. Everything appeared to belong to Lisbon. There wasn't anything strange about that to Cho. He knew Jane didn't have many possessions. Since the death of his wife, things hadn't mattered to him.

The kitchen looked to be in order. There was tea in the pantry, the type Jane drank on many occasions. He knew this was expected as Jane had stayed at Lisbon's place over the years.

Cho and Dean made their way upstairs. They first went into Lisbon's office, where things looked to be in place. Next, they moved to the guest room and then the bathroom. Everything was in place in both rooms.

The last room to look in was the master bedroom. This definitely made Cho uncomfortable. Searching Lisbon's bedroom, a bedroom she shared with Jane, felt so wrong. As they walked in, everything seemed in order. The bed was made, there were no clothes laying around. As Cho moved to the closet, he was becoming more uncomfortable, however, it was not just being in Lisbon's bedroom. Something felt off. There was no evidence that Jane was living there. Nothing on the dresser or the bedside tables belonged to Jane. When Cho entered the closet, things became stranger, there were no clothes belonging to Jane. The master bedroom should be the one place where evidence that Jane was living there would be found, but there was nothing.

"I find it very strange there's no evidence of a man living here." Officer Dean said.

"Jane has never had many possessions. Since the death of his family, he didn't keep many things." Cho said.

"There are no clothes in the closet that belong to a man. I'm sure Mr. Jane has more than the one suit he had on tonight. Also, there are no men's items in the dresser. There's no evidence Mr. Jane lives here at all." Officer Dean stated.

Cho stood there. There was nothing he could say. He didn't know what was going on. He still knew without a doubt; Jane would never harm Lisbon. But, why would Jane lie about living with Lisbon. That made no sense.

"We need to go back to the hospital. I have a few more questions for Mr. Jane. As soon as he's released, he'll be placed into custody and taken to the Sacramento jail." Officer Dean explained to Cho.

Cho just nodded his head and walked back downstairs. 'What's going on Jane?' he thought to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Cho knew he needed to call Rigsby and Van Pelt. He'd just wait until the morning when they arrived at CBI Headquarters. It was 3:30 a.m. at this point and until they had more evidence there wasn't a lot to be done yet.

Cho walked into Jane's room and over to the bed with Officer Dean following him. "Jane?"

Jane slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Cho. "Did you find her? Is she okay?" he asked.

"No. Not yet. Officer Dean has some more questions for you." Cho said.

Jane knew from Cho's tone that something was wrong. "Okay."

"You're still in custody and your Miranda rights still apply Mr. Jane. I'm also recording this again. Do you understand?" Officer Dean explained.

"Yes. Okay." Jane agreed.

"Why did you lie about living with Agent Lisbon?" Dean asked.

Jane looked from Dean to Cho and back to Dean. "WHAT? What the hell are you talking about? I didn't lie."

"Mr. Jane. There was no evidence of a man living at Agent Lisbon's house. There was no men's clothing anywhere in the house. There was nothing to indicate you lived there." Dean said.

"That's not right. I have clothes in the closet and in the dresser. I also have things in the master bathroom. I don't have much in the rest of the house. I don't have many possessions." Jane said, becoming concerned about what might be happening.

"Mr. Jane, I need you to tell me where Agent Lisbon is and why you're lying." Dean said.

"Cho. I'm not lying. Please tell him. I would never do anything to Teresa. I AM living with her. Why would I lie about that? Check the bed. We didn't make the bed this morning, we uh…were running late this morning we uh…you know…uh…there will be evidence of me on the sheets." Jane explained, knowing Teresa would be embarrassed about what he was saying.

"The bed was made Jane." Cho said.

"No. That's not right. We didn't make it this morning. We were going to wash them tonight when we got home. Go back and have the sheets tested." Jane said.

"We'll do that." Cho said, not caring what Officer Dean thought about that.

"Did you see the picture downstairs on the mantle? There's a picture of Lisbon and me kissing on the beach in Malibu. We took the picture when we went to get my house ready to put on the market to sell. I was going to sell my house. It's not a peck on the cheek. It's a full blown kiss and we are in a very close embrace. You know Lisbon would never keep a picture like that if we weren't in a relationship. She would never take a picture like that." Jane said frantically.

"We didn't find a picture like that Jane. All the pictures were of Lisbon and her family: brothers, nieces, and nephews. The only other picture besides her family was a picture of all of us together taken after Rigsby and Van Pelt's wedding." Cho said.

"Something's going on here. Something's not right." Jane said.

"That's correct Mr. Jane. There IS something going on here. I believe you know more about Agent Lisbon's disappearance. What are you hiding?" Dean asked.

"Nothing. I'm not hiding anything. I can't remember what happened tonight, but I know I didn't harm Teresa. I would never do that. Why can't I remember?" Jane cried.

Dr. Oliver entered the room before anything else could be discussed. "Mr. Jane. All your tests have been negative. You don't have any physical injuries and the results of the tox screen are not available yet. I'm releasing you, but I want you to take it easy for the next few days. If you were given some type of drug, it will take time to leave your system."

"Thank you Dr. Oliver." Jane said.

"The nurse will be in shortly with your paperwork." Dr. Oliver said and left the room.

Once Dr. Oliver was gone, Jane sat up, feeling a little woozy. He adjusted his shirt and straightened his collar. Officer Dean stepped up to Jane. "Patrick Jane. You're under arrest for the disappearance and possible homicide of Teresa Lisbon. Your Miranda rights are still in effect."

"Cho." Jane said as he looked at Cho, but knowing there was nothing his friend was able to do.

"We'll find her Jane and we'll figure out what's going on. I promise." Cho said.

Jane signed his release papers when the nurse brought them in. As soon as she left the room, a SAC PD officer handcuffed him and led him downstairs to take him to jail.

As Cho and Dean were heading out of the hospital, Cho knew Dean believed Jane was involved in Teresa's disappearance. "We need to go back to Lisbon's house and pick up the sheets for evidence." Cho said.

"I don't think that's necessary." Dean said. "Even if Jane's DNA is on the sheets, it just proves they had sex, doesn't mean they're in a relationship or living together."

"Well, you may not think it's necessary, but I do. Jane doesn't have casual sex or one night stands. He was celibate for over ten years after his wife's death. Once he slept with Lisbon, he was committed. I have no doubt about that." Cho said.

"Fine. I'll go back with you although I think it's a waste of time." Dean begrudgingly agreed.

Cho needed those sheets to have Jane's DNA on them. They needed that small break. He knew everyone that knew Jane would know if his DNA was on those sheets, he and Lisbon are a committed couple.

Jane paced the jail cell. He had to find some way to remember what happened tonight. He desperately needed to know where Teresa was. He hated being locked up when she was out there somewhere with some crazy person. He sat on the bed, closed his eyes and tried to remember what happened. He remembered pulling in and parking at the movie theater. He'd looked over at Teresa waiting for her to pick a movie. He remembered asking if she was ready to go, he remembered her saying yes. He also remembered opening his door and immediately felt a sting on his neck. Things were really foggy after that. He remembered Teresa's screams. Screaming his name. Unfortunately, those memories were loud and clear.

He kept trying to remember more details. 'Why can't I remember?' he kept saying to himself. Every time he closed his eyes all he could remember were her screams. Those screams were weighing heavy on him. He could only imagine that Angela and Charlotte must have screamed his name too. He had to stop those thoughts. They would send him down a hole he would never be able to climb out of.

"Where ever you are Teresa, I love you. Please stay strong until we can find you." Jane cried out.

Teresa didn't know how long she had been unconscious again, after finding blood on her head. She had to figure out what happened to her and where she was. She remembered she and Jane were going to see a movie. When they were getting ready to get out of her vehicle, she remembered feeling someone grab her. She remembered screaming Jane's name when she saw someone, with a hood over his head, stab Jane in the neck with something. She couldn't tell what he was stabbed with and only hoped he wasn't dead. She could feel tears stinging her eyes. 'God, please don't let him be dead.'

She sat up and looked around. She was in some type of large room. It was dark, with very little light coming in from what looked like a window on the far wall. She was on a metal bed and her ankle was chained to the bed. She was still dressed in what she had been wearing when she was taken and didn't feel like anything had been done to her while she was unconscious. She had no idea what time it was or how long she'd been in this room.

Teresa stood up to see how far she could move away from the bed and if she could tell what else was around her. As she moved out from the bed, she found a sink and toilet. She turned on the faucet and she cupped her hand to drink some water. When she finished, she felt her way around the area some more and found a roll of paper towels. She pulled off a few of the towels and moved back over to the sink. She wet the towels and placed them on the back of her head where she knew she had been bleeding. She needed to figure out how deep the wound was and if she had any other injuries. The towels stung her wound, but it appeared that she was no longer bleeding or if she was it was a very small bit. She moved her hand along her body and didn't find any other wounds or injuries.

She stood up and walked around a little more until she got to the end of the chain attached to her leg. She was able to move out from the bed about five or six feet. As she made her way back over to the bed, she raised her hand up to her neck and found her cross necklace missing. A small sob caught in her throat at the thought of losing the necklace her mother had given her.

Once Teresa had recovered from the loss of her necklace, she looked around once more and knew she would have to wait until there was more light to figure out a way out of her predicament.

Cho arrived at CBI Headquarters at 5:30 a.m. He knew it would be a couple of hours before Rigsby and Van Pelt would be there. Lisbon's abduction hadn't made the news yet, so he hoped he'd be able to break the news to the rest of the team before they heard from someone else. He was anxious for Jane's tox screen results and the results from the DNA test on the sheets to come in. He hoped both showed Jane was telling the truth. He believed him and he knew Rigsby and Van Pelt would also, but he knew Dean didn't.

Cho had been looking into leads on possible suspects from cases they had worked on. He looked up as the elevator dinged and saw Rigsby and Van Pelt walking towards the bull pen.

"Morning Cho. How was your evening?" Grace asked, but stopped short when she noticed the dark circles under Cho's eyes and the look on his face.

"I need to talk to you both in Lisbon's office." Cho said, as he got up and walked towards their boss's office.

"What's wrong Cho.?" Rigsby asked.

"Lisbon's been abducted." Cho started.

"What? When?" Van Pelt asked with a catch in her throat.

"Sit down. It's a long story." Cho said.

"Where's Jane? Does he know?" Rigsby asked.

"He knows. He's part of the story." Cho started to explain as he noticed the questioning looks on their faces. "I was working late here last night and got a call from SAC PD at 9:30 asking me if Lisbon was here. When I said no, Officer Dean told me her vehicle was found on Longo Street."

"Longo Street? What was Lisbon doing on Longo Street that time of night?" Rigsby asked.

"We don't know that yet. However, when Dean walked up to the car, Jane was sitting on the ground, unconscious behind the vehicle. There was a bloody handprint on the back and he found blood on the console and steering wheel. He noticed Jane was clutching something in his hand. When he opened Jane's hand, he found Lisbon's cross necklace covered in blood."

"Oh my God." Van Pelt cried. "Where's Jane now?"

"In jail. He was arrested for her disappearance and suspected homicide." Cho explained.

"No way. Uh, uh. There is no way Jane would hurt the boss. No way." Rigsby said.

"We know that, but SAC PD doesn't believe that. They also don't believe Jane and Lisbon have been living together for the last four months." Cho said.

"How can they…wait…what? What did you just say?" Van Pelt questioned. She couldn't believe what she thought she just heard.

"Jane and Lisbon have been living together for the last four months." Cho answered.

"Wow. I mean, it's not like I didn't see that coming. I'm just surprised it actually happened." Van Pelt said.

"Really? I didn't see that coming." Rigsby said.

"I'm shocked!" Cho said.

"Me too, really?" Rigsby asked.

"No Rigs, I was being sarcastic. I think you're the only one that didn't see that coming." Cho said with a slight laugh.

"Really?!"

"I knew they cared for each other more than co-workers for quite a while now. Since Red John's been gone I saw it more and more. Haven't you noticed how good Jane's been? He's not given the boss any trouble lately." Cho said.

"They seem to fight every afternoon. They were arguing yesterday before they left." Rigsby said.

"If you've noticed, they only bicker on days they are leaving at the same time? They were trying to cover up their relationship. Jane said they'd just agreed to tell us this weekend. And Rigsby, don't use the words argue and fight when Officer Dean comes to ask you questions about Jane and Lisbon." Cho said.

"Oh, yeah. Alright." Rigsby said.

"What do we know right now?" Van Pelt asked.

"Officer Dean and I went to Lisbon's house to look around. There was not sign Jane was living there. None of his clothes were there, no toiletries in the bathroom and no personal belongings. I find that very strange. I believe Jane's living with Lisbon, but Dean sees this as Jane trying to hide something. Jane said there was also a picture on the mantle of him and the boss on the beach in Malibu. They were hugging and kissing. We didn't find the picture. When Dean confronted Jane with all this information, Jane told us to check the bed sheets. He said his DNA would be on the sheets from that morning." Cho explained.

"How would his…" Rigsby started to ask and then his face turned crimson red. "Uh, never mind."

"Yeah, never mind." Van Pelt said with a slight laugh. "Go on Cho."

"Dean reluctantly went back to the house with me to get the sheets and place them into evidence. However, he believes even if Jane's DNA is on the sheets it doesn't prove they were living together or in a relationship. He thinks it just proves they had a one-night stand or were having casual sex." Cho explained.

"No way. Jane is not a one-night stand person or a casual sex person, definitely not with Lisbon. Once they crossed that line, I know they were committed to each other. I mean, Jane never took his wedding ring off until he got Red John. I know he could've had almost any woman around here he wanted, but he didn't want any. At least not until he knew he was in love with Lisbon and then he only wanted her. No one will ever convince me Jane did something to the boss." Van Pelt said with conviction.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks so much for the nice feedback. I love all the questions you've had. Just keep reading. All your questions will be answered, but not before a lot of twist and turns. Hope you enjoy!**

Jane woke with a start; he was having trouble sleeping. In the past he'd suffered from insomnia, but for the last six months he'd slept like a baby. Now however, every time he drifted off, Teresa's screams would ring in his ears. He had to think of some way to get out of jail. With the evidence SAC PD had at that moment, it would be hard to get bail. However, if the tox screen and DNA results came out in his favor, bail might be easier to obtain. All he wanted was for Teresa to be found, nothing else really mattered.

He ran different scenarios through his mind. He had far too many questions to make a viable choice. Who was the person after; him, Lisbon or both? Was it tied to a CBI case they'd worked on? Could it be tied to Red John? While he felt that door closed six months ago, it was always possible there could be lingering effects. Until he could remember details of what happened last night, they might be at a dead end.

Officer Dean entered the CBI bullpen. He looked around and spotted Cho sitting at a desk.

"Agent Cho?"

"Officer Dean. Welcome to the CBI. Do we have results yet from the tox screen or the DNA test?" Cho asked.

"Not yet. I expect them any time. I would like to speak to Agents Rigsby and Van Pelt. I'd also like to speak to everyone else who was here last night when Agent Lisbon and Mr. Jane left for the evening."

Cho stood up and walked over to Van Pelt's desk. "Agent Van Pelt. This is Officer Dean from SAC PD. He has some questions about Lisbon and Jane."

"Alright. We can go into one of the interrogation rooms." Van Pelt said, standing up and walking towards the hallway.

Van Pelt stepped into the interrogation room and sat down. Officer Dean sat down across the table from her.

"Agent Van Pelt. Did either Agent Lisbon or Mr. Jane tell you they were living together?" Dean asked.

"No." Van Pelt answered.

"Don't you find that a little strange? I mean if they were in fact living together, as Mr. Jane says, wouldn't one of them or both of them have said something to other members of your team?" Dean asked.

"No, I don't find that strange at all. Both Lisbon and Jane are extremely private people. I'm not at all surprised they didn't say anything." Van Pelt explained.

"Did Agent Lisbon and Mr. Jane ever argue or fight?" Dean asked.

"Uh, that is a very broad question Officer Dean. They definitely didn't fight. That would be out of character for both of them. They also didn't really argue, they mostly bickered. You know like an old married couple or brother and sister."

"Can you explain a little more about their so called bickering?" Dean asked.

Van Pelt didn't like this guy. She didn't like his sarcastic manner. "Well, Jane would sometimes rub people the wrong way and would make them mad. Lisbon would have to smooth things over and she'd get irritated at him. They would bicker about his methods, but generally that didn't last long. While it might have irritated her at the moment, his results always closed cases so she got over it quickly."

"How about last night as they were leaving the office? I heard they were arguing as they left." Dean said.

"Again, they weren't arguing, they were bickering. It seemed like he'd irritated her in some way. However, I don't believe she was really irritated. I think they were making it seem that way to cover up their leaving together. You know so people wouldn't be suspicious they might be leaving together, as a couple." Van Pelt explained. She didn't want to give this guy anything he might be able to twist around.

"Was Agent Lisbon afraid of Mr. Jane?" Dean asked.

"WHAT? Absolutely not. Jane would never, ever, do anything to harm Lisbon. He loves her." Although she was an agent and understood interrogations, she didn't like being the on the other end of that questioning. Especially when it involved two of her best friends.

"Alright Agent Van Pelt. That's all the questions I have at this time. I may want to question you further at a later time." Dean said.

"That's fine." Van Pelt said.

"Can you please send in Agent Rigsby. Please do not talk to him about what we talked about." Dean stated.

"Sure." she said.

Van Pelt walked out towards the bullpen. When Rigsby looked up, she motioned to him. He stood up and walked to where she was standing.

"What's up?" Rigsby asked.

"Officer Dean wants to ask you some questions about Lisbon and Jane. He's in Interrogation Room 1." Van Pelt said.

"What did he ask you?" he asked.

"I can't talk to you about that." she stated, hoping he would understand.

"Why can't you talk to me about it?" he asked.

"Wayne, just go talk to him." Van Pelt pleaded.

Wayne looked at his wife then walked to Interrogation Room 1. When he entered the room, Officer Dean motioned for him to sit down.

"Agent Rigsby. I'm Officer Dean of SAC PD. I have some questions about Agent Lisbon and Mr. Jane."

"Okay." Rigsby said.

"Did either Agent Lisbon or Mr. Jane tell you they were living together?"

"No, they didn't."

"Do you find that strange Agent Rigsby?"

"No, not really. Neither of them really talk about their personal lives." he answered.

"You all have been working together for over ten years. I assume you're all close. They've never talked about their personal lives in all those years?" Dean asked.

"Well I mean we all knew about Jane's family, but he never really talked that much about them. Lisbon talked about her brothers and their families some. We knew when she was occasionally dating someone, which hasn't been in quiet awhile, but she never really talked about them. Jane was never interested in seeing anyone while he was looking for Red John."

"Does it surprise you that Mr. Jane says he was living with Agent Lisbon?" Dean asked.

"Not really. They've always seemed very close." Rigsby answered.

"Last night as they were leaving the office, I heard they were arguing as they left. Can you tell me about that?"

"They weren't really arguing. They just seemed to be having a disagreement about something. Jane always irritates her, he apologizes and she forgives him."

"So they fight a lot?" Dean asked.

"No, they don't fight. He makes her mad about something and she quickly gets over it. She never stays mad at him very long. Well except that time he buried a man alive. She stayed mad at him for a few days." Rigsby explained.

"Mr. Jane buried a man alive?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, but it was just to get a confession about a murder." Rigsby said, feeling uneasy about what he'd said now.

"So Mr. Jane can be pushed to harm or kill someone to get what he wants?" Dean asked.

"No, no. Not at all." Rigsby said quickly.

"Well Mr. Jane did shoot and kill Timothy Carter, believing he was Red John. Then when he caught up to Red John, he killed him and another man. Now according to you, Mr. Jane buried a man alive to get a confession. It seems Mr. Jane will go to any lengths to get what he wants. Wouldn't you find it conceivable that if Mr. Jane wanted something from Agent Lisbon and he wasn't getting want he wanted, he might do whatever he had to in order to get it?"

"No, it's not like that. He was cleared in all those cases. And, he would never do anything to Lisbon. He cares about her too much."

"That's all the questions I have at this time. I'll be in touch if I need anything else." Dean said.

Rigsby stood up and walked to the door. As he turned the handle, he knew that didn't go well. He walked to the bullpen and sat down at his desk. Cho and Van Pelt were looking at him.

"Uh, I don't think that went well." Rigsby said.

"What do you mean?" Van Pelt asked.

"What did you say?" Cho asked, shaking his head.

"I just explained that Jane and Lisbon didn't argue and fight. I told him she always forgave him quickly except for…"

"Except for what Rigsby?" Cho asked.

"Well, except for the time he buried a man alive. I mean, I explained she was mad for a few days but she did even forgive him then."

"Wayne." Grace said, with a growl.

"I thought I was doing good, but then he seemed to twist my words after that. He didn't ask much more." Wayne explained.

"Well, he was going to hear about him burying that guy anyway in his investigation. Jane's done some things that make him look bad. Unfortunately, anyone that believes some of those stories doesn't know the real Jane." Grace said.

"Yeah. We have to find out what happened. I think Dean has his mind made up that Jane's involved in her disappearance and probably killed her. It's going to be up to us to find evidence that proves Jane wasn't involved. Before he left, he told me that Jane's fingerprints were only found downstairs at Lisbon's house. For him, that's just more proof Jane was lying. I asked him to send me copies of everything. Although he seemed reluctant, but agreed." Cho said with determination.

"Whoever is doing this has gone to great lengths. I just wish there was somewhere to start. Right now, we don't know if the person was after Jane, Lisbon or both. Jane's made a lot of people mad, so it would be reasonable to believe it's him they were after. No one but us really knows how close they are. I mean, it could've been random." Van Pelt explained.

"I don't think it was random. Lisbon's purse and cell phone were all untouched in the vehicle. Jane still had his watch and cell phone. It has to be someone tied to one of them or both of them. Van Pelt, keep looking into our past cases. Rigsby, look into cases Teresa worked on before coming to the CBI. I'll check out people who Jane dealt with while working as a psychic. Somewhere there has to be a red flag." Cho said.

Teresa woke up to more light in the room. She could see she was in a warehouse type building and she was inside a cell like structure within the warehouse. There was really nothing around to indicate where she might be or what kind of business had been housed there. She looked around and found bottles of water in the cell and some snack type items. At least she had water and food. Whoever took her must care somewhat or they wouldn't have given her anything or would've just killed her out right.

Teresa used the toilet and then tried to brush her teeth with her finger. It would have to do for now. She opened a bottle of water and opened a package of peanut butter crackers. She could at least keep up her strength until she could determine if there was some way to escape or alert someone outside to her existence in the building.

When she finished the water and crackers, she used several of the paper towels to clean herself up some. When she wiped her neck, she noticed it stung a little. When she felt her neck, she could tell her necklace was probably yanked from her neck and had left some scratches. She couldn't feel any cuts or other injuries. She checked her arms and didn't see any signs of injury. Her arms, shoulders and legs felt a little sore, maybe indicating she'd fought her abductors. She couldn't remember that though.

Her boots had scuff marks on the back of the heel that hadn't been there before. Her pants also were a little dirty, which she knew wasn't there when she was taken. She must have been dragged to a waiting vehicle. That could account for the scuff marks and dirt.

She wished she knew what happened to Patrick. If she just knew he was okay. Knowing he was stabbed, but not knowing what he was stabbed with, worried her. There weren't many ways a person could be stabbed in the neck and not suffer catastrophic injuries. She couldn't think like that. Jane had come through too much to die now, now that his life, their lives, were looking so promising. She had to believe he was okay. She had to believe he was looking for her.

Cho called Dr. Oliver to find out the results of the tox screen. He wasn't sure Officer Dean would call him when he received the results.

"Agent Cho. I just called Officer Dean with the results of the tox screen. There were traces of benzodiazepines in Mr. Jane's system. No other drugs were found." Dr. Oliver explained.

"Could that explain his inability to recall what happened last night?" Cho asked.

"Yes it could. Benzodiazepines slow activity in key parts of the brain, including those involved in short-term to long-term memory. When they're added to an anesthesiologist's cocktail of meds, patients rarely remember any unpleasantness from a surgical procedure. When used to incapacitate a person like in Mr. Jane's case, those drugs could work the same way." Dr. Oliver explained.

"Does that mean he'll never remember what happened?" Cho asked concerned.

"He may eventually remember what happened or remember just bits and pieces. There's a possibility that he may never remember. Only time will tell. I'm sorry I can't give you a better answer, but every patient responds differently to different types of drugs. It could also depend on the amount of the drugs that were administered. I would say it wasn't a large dose based on the amount that was found in his blood. However, it would have been enough to incapacitate him for a period of time." the doctor explained further.

"Thank you Dr. Oliver. If I need anything else, I'll give you a call." Cho said.

"That's fine Agent Cho."

When Cho hung up, he thought about what Dr. Oliver had told him. He wasn't sure it was enough to get Jane out of jail. He had to admit, it wouldn't have been enough for him if it had been someone other than Jane.


	5. Chapter 5

**Two chapters in one day, this story is just writing itself!** **I still don't own The Mentalist, only Bruno Heller can claim that.**

Cho waited about an hour before calling Officer Dean. He wanted to see if Dean would call him about the tox screen on his own.

"Agent Cho. What can I do for you?" Dean asked when he answered the phone.

"You've had the tox screen results for over an hour and I haven't heard from you." Cho stated.

"I was waiting for the DNA results to come back before calling. I just got those results in. There was no DNA on the sheets. They appear to have been clean sheets or even new sheets." Dean said, with what appeared to be a smug manner.

Cho's heart dropped at the news about the DNA. He still believed Jane, but things weren't looking good.

"Well as Dr. Oliver told you, there were benzodiazepines in Jane's system. That proves someone drugged him. It also explains why he can't remember anything." Cho stated.

"Yeah, it proves he had drugs in his system. Drugs he could've administered to himself. It doesn't prove someone else gave him the drugs." Dean said.

"If he gave himself the drug, there would've been a syringe at the scene. Was there a syringe found at the scene?" Cho asked.

"I'm not sure, but I will check into that." Dean said.

"How can you not know that? It would be a big piece of evidence." Cho asked.

"The crime scene unit was still gathering evidence at the scene when I left to accompany Mr. Jane to the hospital. I haven't had an opportunity to go over all the evidence they collected." Dean explained with a little edge to his voice.

"I can't believe you still think Jane was involved in this. You saw him. He was obviously devastated over Lisbon's disappearance." Cho said.

"Or he was devastated he got caught." Dean added.

"Jane is not a stupid man, far from it. If he was involved in this in any way, the whole thing would've been more elaborate or you wouldn't have found anything at all. This whole thing was orchestrated by someone that wasn't very smart." Cho explained, very irritated.

"If and that's a big if, someone else was involved, I think they were very smart. Everything points to Mr. Jane. There's absolutely no evidence pointing to anyone else. The house was devoid of any evidence that he was living there, if he really was. The only fingerprints at the scene belonged to Agent Lisbon and Mr. Jane. The bloody handprint on the back of the vehicle has been found to belong to Mr. Jane and he was holding a bloody necklace belonging to Agent Lisbon. How can that be anything but smart?" Dean asked.

"That's just it, it's too clean. If you were going to abduct someone, make it appear that person were dead or injured, inject yourself with drugs, drive the vehicle to a rough area of town and sit down behind the vehicle to wait for someone to find you, would you have all the evidence pointing at you and only you? That just makes no sense. You would make sure the evidence pointed away from you, not directly at you." Cho said, becoming more and more aggravated.

"Maybe Mr. Jane wanted it to appear too clean. Take the heat off of him, wanting you to think what you're thinking now. His file doesn't read too well. He's cunning and manipulative. This plays into his type of games."

"That's crazy. Jane used to be cunning and manipulative. He isn't like that anymore." Cho said.

"Really Agent Cho? Isn't that what makes him good at what he does at the CBI? Manipulate and con suspects." Dean countered.

"Yes, he does that type of thing with suspects, as part of his job. Again, that's exactly why this is too clean. Jane wouldn't put all his eggs in one basket by making the evidence point solely towards him. It would make him look either completely guilty or completely innocent. If he did this, he would have set up so many things to throw the police off. You don't know him like I do." Cho said, becoming more and more frustrated.

"You're correct Agent Cho. I don't know him like you do. I think that makes it easy for you to explain all the evidence away. I get it, he's your friend. You don't want to believe he did it. But you need to look at this as the agent I know you are; if you didn't know Mr. Jane, you would have to conclude he is involved given the evidence we have." Dean stated.

"Yes, he's my friend. However, Lisbon is also my friend. As I've told you before, if I even thought he MIGHT have done this, I would be the first in line to nail his ass to the wall." Cho said, rather forcefully.

"Well Agent Cho. I'm not as confident as you. Until I have something substantial to overcome the evidence we have, it's still my belief Patrick Jane is involved in the disappearance and possible homicide of Teresa Lisbon."

"I haven't received any of the copies of the evidence. When will you be sending those to me?" Cho asked, tired of arguing.

"You'll have copies of everything this afternoon." Officer Dean said as the elevator doors closed.

Teresa couldn't remember the last time she'd been so bored in all her life. There was nothing she could do but sleep or sit and think. Thinking was not high on her list right now. The only thing she could think about was whether Jane was okay or not. She decided to survey every square inch of the large room she was in for even the smallest bit of evidence of where she might be or who might have taken her.

She started with one wall and moved her eyes down that wall, noting everything she saw. The first thing she came to was a stack of paint cans. There were many different brands of paint. Continuing down the first wall, she next saw stacks of newspapers. They were yellowing, which led her to believe they'd been there for some time. Next, a pile of tires. Her eyes turned the corner of the first wall, onto the second wall. There was a long work bench that took up most of the second wall. There were a few miscellaneous tools on the work bench that she could see and what looked like some old rags. Nothing else was on the second wall. She moved to the third wall. She saw a stack of boxes with some clothes on top of the boxes. Something seemed familiar, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She sat staring at the boxes and clothes for what seemed like an hour or more. She moved her eyes over every inch of the stack.

Teresa gasped when she realized what seemed so familiar. The clothes on top. One of the clothing items was a suit jacket belonging to Patrick. She could see a rough patch on the elbow area. She and Jane once had a discussion about the jacket. Jane wanted to have the area repaired, she had told him she didn't think it could be repaired. She remembered this discussion because it was a jacket Jane never wore so she didn't understand why he wanted to have it repaired. He'd told her it was a jacket Angela had bought for him. Jane had some attachment issues to a couple of things Angela had given him, like the shoes he wore. He still wore the shoes, he just continued to have them repaired. The jacket however was not really in style, but he wanted to keep it. She'd told him she was okay with that. She understood his feelings about those things. Even after they had become a couple, she was comfortable with him keeping anything that reminded him of his family.

She couldn't understand what the jacket was doing there. It hadn't been in her vehicle. It had been in their closet at home, in the back of the closet. How would it have ended up here? Were there other things from their home in the boxes under the clothes? There were a couple of other pieces of clothing under the jacket, but she couldn't make out what they were.

As she scanned down the stack of boxes, she could see a small amount of fabric hanging over the edge of the bottom box. She stared at the fabric for a few minutes and again gasped. The fabric was the exact cocoa color of the sheets from their bed. She remembered buying those sheets. She'd liked the color because it wasn't a chocolate brown or beige, more of a cocoa color. If it wouldn't have been for the color, she wouldn't have been able to tell what the fabric was. What the hell were their sheets doing here?

She wished there was some way to get out of the cell and look through those boxes more closely. Something very strange and very wrong was going on here. She had a feeling of dread spread through her body.

"Do we have anything, anything at all?" Cho said angrily and forcefully, very out of character for him.

Van Pelt and Rigsby looked at each other and then at Cho. He was angrier than they'd ever seen him. He must've spoken to Officer Dean.

"You okay Cho?" Van Pelt asked.

"No, I'm not okay. The tox screen showed benzodiazepines in Jane's blood." Cho started.

"Well that's good." she stated.

"There was no DNA on the sheets." Cho said.

"That's not good." she said.

"No, it's not good. Dean is convinced Jane is solely responsible for Lisbon's disappearance and that he probably killed her."

Van Pelt gasped. "What about the drugs?"

"He believes Jane could have drugged himself to cover up the crime." Cho answered.

"That's just crazy." she said.

"I know. I said the whole thing was just too clean. I asked him, 'If you were going to abduct someone, make it appear that person were dead or injured, inject yourself with drugs, drive the vehicle to a rough area of town and sit down behind the vehicle to wait for someone to find you, would you have all the evidence pointing at you and only you? You would make sure the evidence pointed away from you, not directly at you.'" Cho stated.

"What did he have to say?" Rigsby asked.

"He believed Jane set it up that way. He believes that Jane wanted us to think what we're thinking, it's too clean and Jane would be smarter if he'd done it. He also told me if I wasn't friends with Jane, then I'd be looking at this differently. I'd see it as he was seeing it. The most frustrating part of that is that he's probably correct. If I looked at this from the point of a strictly detached CBI agent, I'd have to say it's likely Jane did it. However, I know Jane. I can't change that fact. I also told him if I even thought he was involved I'd be the first one to nail him to the wall." Cho explained to his friends and co-workers.

"I'd be right there with you Cho. If I thought he was involved, I'd nail him too." Rigsby said.

"That's just it. We know Jane and we know he wouldn't and couldn't do this. How are we going to get him to believe us?" Van Pelt asked.

"We're not. He's made up his mind. He's not going to look for the real culprit. He's just going to get this case ready to turn over to the District Attorney to prosecute Jane."

"Can we talk to Ardiles?" Van Pelt asked.

"I don't think we'd get anywhere with him. You know he doesn't have the warmest of feelings for Jane. Jane made him look bad on a couple of cases and I believe he had a thing for Lisbon, but he realized she had a thing for Jane so that didn't help the situation any. I don't think he would railroad Jane for spite, but with the evidence as it is, I think he wouldn't hesitate to prosecute him. Especially if he believes Jane might've done something to Lisbon." Cho explained.

"It looks like it's all on us. We're Jane's only hope." Van Pelt said sadly. "We can't let him or Lisbon down."

Jane was becoming increasingly more exhausted. He needed to sleep. That wasn't going to happen if every time he closed his eyes he heard Teresa screaming. He didn't want to ask for a doctor to give him something to help him sleep, but he knew he needed to keep himself up in case he was able to get out of there and look for Teresa. He also knew that Teresa would be very angry with him if she was found and he was sick from exhaustion.

When a guard walked by, Jane stepped up and asked to see a doctor. When the guard asked him what the problem was, he told the guard he was having trouble sleeping. The guard laughed and made a comment that he would have a hard time sleeping too if he'd killed a cop. He told Jane he'd tell the captain about his request.

Jane didn't have an expectation that he would see a doctor any time soon. He knew how police closed ranks when a case involved the injury or death of one of their own. He wished he could talk to Cho, Van Pelt or Rigsby. However, he didn't think that would happen anytime soon either. Dean wasn't likely to let any of them see him. He knew Dean was convinced he was the one responsible for Lisbon's disappearance and possible death. He knew Cho and the team believed him and his only hope was that they'd find something to clear him. If not, his luck might have finally run out and he would go to prison for good this time. However, he knew Teresa was still alive; he could feel it. He still felt her with him, he knew if and when he no longer felt her, he would have to accept she was gone forever, something he couldn't even fathom.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks again for your reviews, I true appreciate them. They keep the words flowing! I'm not sure how long this story will be, but I'm starting on Chapter 10 and it doesn't feel like it's time to bring everything to a conclusion yet.**

Chapter 6

"Van Pelt? Have we received copies of the evidence from Dean yet?" Cho asked.

"All we have are the tox screen results, the DNA results and some of the results of the blood, hair and fiber tests done on Lisbon's vehicle. We haven't received any of the fingerprint results or the hair and fiber results from Lisbon's house. Why is he only sending some things and not others?" she stated.

"I believe he sees this case as a career booster for himself." Cho said.

"Jane's a hero around here. He caught the killer of his family. Our team brought down Red John and the Blake Association. Why would putting Jane in jail for murder be a career booster for him?" she asked.

"Jane is a hero to the people of California. He's done a lot of things in the past that have made other law enforcement agencies look bad. He's also made more than a few Assistant DAs angry." Cho stated.

"You think they're all after Jane? That seems like a real stretch." Van Pelt asked.

"No, I don't think there's a conspiracy. Look Grace, everyone in law enforcement likes Lisbon and most believe she's always let Jane run over her. Some believe he's hurt her career. With all the evidence pointing at Jane, they'll feel like they're supporting Lisbon by sending her "killer" to prison. If Dean is the one leading the charge, he'll be the hero. Like I said before about Ardiles, he wouldn't prosecute Jane out of spite, but if all the evidence is pointing in that direction, he'll prosecute." Cho said, making air quotes when he said killer.

"I get your point. We just need to work faster and harder to find something to help Jane. No criminal can commit the perfect crime. There's always something they miss." Van Pelt said.

"We'll find it. I just hope we find it soon." Cho agreed.

Teresa heard a noise. It was dark outside based on the amount of light coming through the small window on the other side of the room. It was kind of creepy when there was very little light for her to see. Not knowing where she was or what was around made it even creepier.

She heard the noise again. Shortly after that, she heard the sound of a door opening. "Who's there?" Teresa yelled. No one answered.

She could hear someone walking around the building. She couldn't see anyone, but she could sense someone was there, although the person had stopped walking.

"Who's there? Who are you? Why am I here?" she yelled again. She was becoming more angry now than scared.

"WHO'S THERE? WHY AM I HERE?" she screamed.

"Ah, Agent Lisbon. Your anger is really unnecessary." a voice said.

"My anger isn't necessary? Really? I've been kidnapped, I'm chained to a bed in a cell God knows where and things from my house are stacked in boxes on the other side of the room. Just how is my anger unnecessary?" Lisbon said, seething with more anger than she'd felt in a long time.

"The ever observant Agent Lisbon. You've spotted the things from your house. Not really my intention for you to figure that out, although I can't say I mind. It does add a layer of satisfaction to my plan." the person said.

Lisbon wished she could see who she was talking to. She could make out a figure half way across the room. She didn't recognize the voice, so it must not be someone she readily knew.

"Where's Jane?" she demanded.

"Oh yes, Mr. Jane. He's alive if that's what you're worried about. He's being very well taken care of right now. No need for you to worry."

She had tears in her eyes at the news that Jane was alive. He must've been stabbed with a syringe then, some drug. That made her feel better, but worried for a whole new reason.

"What do you mean he's being very well taken care of? Who's taking care of him and why?" Teresa demanded to know.

"Well, he's being clothed, has three square meals a day and is being watched 24 hours a day." the voice answered with a hint of sarcasm.

" _HE'S IN JAIL_?" Teresa yelled.

"No need to raise your voice, it carries very well in here and I can hear you just fine." The voice was dripping with sarcasm now.

"You son of a…" she started.

"Now, now. No need for such language."

"Why is Jane in jail?" she demanded.

"Well for your kidnapping and murder of course." the voice said with definite satisfaction.

Teresa felt like someone hit her square in the chest. She had to get control of her breathing. Jane was in jail. He was accused of kidnapping and murdering her. 'Oh my God! Who is doing this and why?' she thought to herself. She had to get herself under control and figure out who this person was and how to get out of there. Finding a way out just become far more important.

"Why are you doing this to Jane? What do you have against him?" Teresa asked, hoping her questions would give her some clues to the person's identity.

"Oh Mr. Jane was just a convenient tool. I really have nothing against him. But he does make a very good patsy, given his history. It really has been so easy."

"So…so…so you're after me, not him? What have I done to you?" Teresa asked, very curious and more concerned now.

"Oh, I think I'll keep that to myself for now. You're a very good agent I hear, maybe you can figure that out on your own. Since you have nothing else to do." Teresa cringed at the sarcasm and pure evil she heard in the voice.

"My team knows Jane would never do anything to me. They know he'd never kill me. They'll find you, you won't get away with this." Teresa said with conviction.

"Well your team is not leading this investigation. Not to say they aren't doing their own investigation. They don't know what they may or may not be missing. They seem like a good team, but without their fearless leader and her side kick consultant, they may not be that good on their own."

"Who is conducting the investigation?" she asked.

"SAC PD."

"Why SAC PD? If my team is doing their own investigation, that would mean the CBI hasn't been asked to join the investigation. Why?" Teresa asked very curious now.

"Well, your vehicle and Mr. Jane were found on Longo Street, which would be SAC PD's jurisdiction. SAC PD hasn't asked for the CBI to join the investigation. The powers that be at the CBI are allowing SAC PD to lead the investigation since their own consultant is accused of the crime. You know, the appearance of propriety especially after all that Blake Association mess." the voice explained.

"What evidence do they have against Jane that makes them believe he was involved in this?" Teresa demanded to know.

"Well, I'm just going to say, finding Mr. Jane clutching your bloody cross necklace was very compelling for everyone."

"No. Oh God, no." she gasped, tears now flowing down her face. "How could you do that to him?"

"Have a good night Agent Lisbon." she heard the voice saying as it faded away with the shutting of the door.

Teresa lay on the bed sobbing. She could only imagine what Jane was going through. Would this push him so far into depression, that even if she were found, he would never be able to recover?

Her sobbing continued far into the night.

"I haven't found anything in our old cases. Nothing stands out. There's no one unaccounted for and everyone that is out of jail has alibis." Van Pelt explained as she, Cho and Rigsby sat at the conference table going over what each of them had been researching.

"I haven't found anything suspicious in my investigation either." said Cho. "I'm still digging since there are so many people from Jane's past work as a psychic. Have you found anything Rigsby?"

"It seems everyone involved in Lisbon's cases there are accounted for and the ones out of jail all have alibis. Nothing there seems questionable."

"Somewhere there has to be something. We have missed something. This is one of those times we could really use Jane's insights." Cho said.

"Yeah, but since he's the suspect that's not going to happen." Van Pelt added.

"Hey. I did find something interesting about the boss though. Something I didn't know." Rigsby said.

"What's that Rigs? Something that will help us here?" Cho asked.

"No. Just something interesting." Rigsby answered. "Did you know when the boss was a rookie officer at SAC PD, she uncovered a major theft ring led by two officers, partners in fact?"

"Really?" Van Pelt asked.

"I never heard that. It's not something I ever heard Lisbon talk about." Cho said.

"SAC PD had been trying for years to find the leaders of the theft ring and boss seemed to uncover and identify the two officers as the leaders in the matter of a few months. If appears that's how she rose in the ranks so fast. I wonder why she's never talked about it." Rigsby explained further.

"You know Lisbon, doesn't brag. So she would've probably seen it as bragging talking about it. But you know how close police officers are, you'd think bringing down two partners would make her a pariah at SAC PD." Cho said.

"No, in fact, just the opposite. SAC PD and other officers were on her side. They'd been taking a lot of heat from the community over the theft ring. When it came out that two officers were the leaders, it could've been really bad for SAC PD. However, a rookie officer uncovering the ring and taking down two of her own officers, made the SAC PD look good. The fact that Lisbon was a woman also seemed to add to the story." Rigsby said.

"I always wondered how someone of Lisbon's age rose so quickly. I mean, I never thought anything bad about Lisbon, you know her being a woman and all. Just the fact that at her age, it's rare." Rigsby said.

"To be honest, I did too. When I first started working for her, I could tell she was a great officer and great leader, but still at her age. We all know, unfortunately, women also don't have it easy in law enforcement. I know a lot of people probably wondered the same thing about Lisbon all these years. This just goes to show Lisbon's integrity. She never used what she did to justify how she got to where she was, she just worked hard to prove she belonged." Cho said.

"Yeah, boss would only want people to see her hard work." Van Pelt agreed.

"Did you check on the two officers? Where are they now? Just in the off chance there might be something there." Cho said.

"Yeah. Michael Shaw and Darren Price. Shaw died about a year ago during a fight in the laundry room at the prison where he was serving his time. He apparently tried to break up a fight between two other prisoners and got stabbed with a shiv. Price is still in prison and has become some kind of prison minister. Apparently, he's a model prisoner." Rigsby explained.

"Okay. Go ahead and check on the families of both officers. It's been so long that I can't imagine any of them being involved. If they'd wanted to do anything to Lisbon, I think they would've done something a long time ago, but let's cover all bases." Cho said.

"You got it." Rigsby agreed.

Teresa was finally able to stop crying and pull herself together. She felt she needed to go over her conversation with the man who had been in the warehouse, for any possible clues to who he was and why he had taken her. She wished she had a paper and pen to write down her thoughts. The man had been after her, not Jane. He was framing Jane, but only because it was convenient. Her vehicle had been found on Longo Street, somewhere she would never be at night unless there was a case. SAC PD was investigating, not the CBI. Her necklace had been found in Jane's hand. The necklace was covered in blood. She knew the blood had probably come from the wound on her head. But how did it get in Jane's hand and how did it get covered in blood?

As Teresa sat and thought about everything she had learned, some things started to fall into place. Jane was apparently stabbed in the neck with some type of drug to knock him out. She was hit over the head with some object, causing her head to bleed. Someone must have pulled her necklace from her neck, covered it in the blood from her head wound and then placed the necklace in Jane's hand.

Teresa prayed her team could find the evidence they needed to clear Jane and find her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry I haven't respond to everyone's reviews. I keep getting an error message. So THANK YOU for you reviews. I appreciate them more than you can know. I'm glad to know the characters are coming across the way I wanted them to! Hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 7

Jane was told his lawyer was there to see him. He didn't know who this lawyer was going to be since he hadn't hired one. As he was led into the room to meet the lawyer, he got the immediate sense that whoever this man was, he was a good man. Jane had a momentary feeling of peace. He would remain cautious until he knew who he was and who'd sent him.

"Mr. Jane. Hello. I'm your attorney, Daniel Jacobs. You can call me Dan."

"Well. Mr. Jacobs. Before we get off to a first name basis, you can tell me why you're here. I didn't hire you." Jane said.

"Agent Kimball Cho sent me. His exact words were, 'If he finds you acceptable, he'll pay the tab. Please don't take anything personal that he might say.' I assume you know what he meant by that. I agreed to meet with you more out of curiosity than the need for a new client." Dan said.

Jane couldn't help but laugh. He knew he and Dan would get along just fine. "Well, that's Cho's wit alright. More words than I can imagine him saying at one time though."

"True, very true. So Mr. Jane. I'll take your case, if you want me as your attorney."

"Well Dan, call me Patrick. Yes, I think I'd do well with you as my counsel. I must warn you though, I will not be your easiest client." Jane said.

"I have no doubts about that. Here's my contract and fee schedule. If everything looks alright with you, just sign and we can get started."

Jane read over the contract and fee schedule. It all looked like the standard criminal contract and fees. Hefty fees, but one can't put a price on one's freedom. Jane signed the documents and slid them across to Dan.

"I don't have access to my accounts at the moment. No ATMs in here you know. If I can get the information to Cho, he can get into my accounts and take care of the retainer." Jane explained.

"Cho says you're good for it. We can take care of the money later. Let's get started on the facts of the case." Dan said.

"Thanks."

"Okay. Why don't we start at the beginning? Cho said you and Agent Lisbon have known each other for over ten years." Dan started to review the facts.

"Dan? Can you please call her Teresa, not Agent Lisbon? It makes her sound like a stranger. She is Teresa to me. Look, you have to know one thing before we start, I love her more than anything else. I would never do anything to hurt her. Never." Jane explained.

"I believe you Patrick. Cho explained your relationship with Teresa to me. I'll do everything I can to get you out of here." Dan said. "Now, Cho said you two were living together, but there was no evidence in Teresa's house that you lived there."

"Yes. That's what Cho told me too. Did he tell you about the sheets, that my DNA should be on them? Jane asked.

"Yes, he told me. However, Patrick, there was no trace of your DNA on those sheets. They appeared to be clean or new sheets." Dan explained.

Jane's head dropped. "How can that be? We made love that morning, and uh…well…we needed to wash the sheets but didn't have time before we left. We just piled them on the bed and decided to wash them when we got home from work."

"Cho also said there was a picture of you two together on the beach in Malibu, but they weren't able to find that either. Was the picture taken with a camera, your phone?" Dan asked.

Jane sat up quickly. "Our phones. We each had one on our phones. There was an older man on the beach that day and he commented what a nice couple we were. We asked him to take a picture and we both had him take a picture with each of our phones. If you can get the phones from the police, I assume the police have both of them, you will find the picture."

"I'm headed over to SAC PD when I leave here. That would be a small step for our side. The picture alone won't be enough. Cho said you hadn't told your team about the relationship. I understand from him that wasn't out of character for either of you. Did you possibly tell anyone other than your team, maybe family?" Dan asked

"No. I have no family. Teresa wouldn't have told her brothers yet. The team would have been the first to know. She'd agreed that night to tell everyone this weekend. I know the timing seems a little suspicious, but it's the truth."

"Timing is not always the best sometimes, but we'll deal with it. Explain the events of that night from leaving your office to the time you woke up in the hospital. I want you to walk through every detail. Any little thing you remember could be important." Dan said.

"Okay. Well, we left the office about 5:30 p.m. We usually drove in separate cars to avoid being seen arriving and leaving work together. Since we were running late that morning, back to the sheets, we decided to take Teresa's vehicle and stop for a quick breakfast. Teresa acted like she was mad at me and we pretended to argue as we left together to keep people from thinking anything about us leaving at the same time.

"Cho told me about the bickering. By the way, none of your team believed you two were really arguing. They all suspected there was something going on with both of you. Well except for Rigsby, it took some explaining by the other two for him to see it." Dan said.

"Ah, yes. That sounds like Rigsby. A little slow on the uptake." Jane said, glad for Dan's attempt to lighten the mood.

"Okay, just continue from there." Dan said, smiling.

"We got in the elevator and Teresa kissed me after the doors closed and said she hoped she wasn't too harsh. We then left the building and walked to her vehicle. We decided to go to dinner at a Thai place a few blocks from the office. We ate dinner and talked about inviting people over this weekend and telling everyone about our relationship. We decided to go to a movie and went to the Century Downtown Plaza. We hadn't decided which movie to see so Teresa was looking up the movies and times on her cell phone. She was still looking when I pulled into a parking spot at the Plaza. We didn't sit there very long and I opened my door to get out. I was turned towards Teresa. I felt a sting on my neck, like a bee sting. I remember reaching up to where I felt the sting and I heard Teresa screaming my name. I remember the feeling of being pulled out of the vehicle, hearing Teresa still screaming for me. At that point, I don't remember anything else until I woke up in the hospital."

"Okay." Dan said, continuing to make notes. "There was someone on your side of the vehicle, pulling you out and there was someone on Teresa's side pulling her out. So at least two people were involved?"

"There had to be. I believe Teresa was pulled out of the car also. Things get real hazy after that sting on my neck. I just remember hearing her screaming my name. I'm having a hard time sleeping because when I close my eyes that's all I hear, her screams." Jane said.

"You only remember her screaming your name, nothing else?" Dan asked.

"My name is all I remember. I don't remember any other voices. I've tried so hard to remember if I heard another voice, but just can't remember that if there were any others."

"Okay. You then woke up in the hospital and Cho and Officer Dean were there, correct?" Dan asked.

"Right. Well, Cho woke me up. He said I was screaming for Teresa. Things were very hazy. I explained what happened, like I am now. At some point, I remember Officer Dean telling me I was found clutching Teresa's necklace and it was covered in blood. I don't know how her necklace got in my hand or how or why it was covered in blood." Jane explained.

"You don't remember reaching out for her, maybe in an attempt to stop her from being taken from the vehicle. You could have caught her necklace." Dan questioned.

"No. I don't remember doing that. It all happened so fast. Was the necklace broken, like it was pulled off of Teresa's neck?" Jane asked.

"I don't know that at the moment. That is on my list of information to obtain from the police. I wanted to get as much information as I could from you before I read any of the investigative documents. When I get to SAC PD, I will get copies of the investigation materials. As soon as I have reviewed all those documents, the scene and the house, I'll be back to see you. We can go over everything I find and hopefully I can answer any questions you may have." Dan said.

"That sounds good. I do have lots of questions, but I'll wait to see what you find. If Cho will come by, I can give him my bank account information so he can get the retainer for you." Jane said. He'd wondered why he hadn't seen Cho yet.

"Cho believes it would be best not to come see you while he's investigating this case on his own. SAC PD has not asked CBI to get involved and the brass at CBI feels like it's best if SAC PD does the investigation. Cho doesn't want to give Officer Dean any reason to believe that any evidence he finds on his own is tainted because of his relationship to you. He wants you to know he believes you and is on your side. He said, and I quote, 'If I even thought he might have done this, I would be the first one to nail his ass to the wall.'" Dan said with a small smile.

Jane laughed, "Yep, that's Cho and it's the truth."

"Do you have any idea who could have done this? Does anyone come to mind?" Dan asked.

"I have no idea. I have been thinking about that since I've been in here and no one comes to mind. Six months ago I could've given you many names, but now, I don't know. I'm assuming whoever is doing this is probably doing it because of me. I've made many people made. Teresa is so good; I can't imagine anyone going after her except to hurt me." Jane explained.

"Patrick, your team supports you completely. I've been doing this job long enough to get a feel for whether my clients are telling me the truth or not. I believe you. I won't lie, with the evidence out there right now, we have an uphill battle. Just have faith in your team, I believe they will stop at nothing to find Teresa and to clear you.

"Thanks Dan. I believe that too. They're a great team, a loyal team. I just need to know where Teresa is. I don't believe she's…dead."

"I hope not Patrick. Your team doesn't either. They'll find her, you have to believe that." Dan said.

"I do Dan, that's all I have right now." Jane said.

Dan and Patrick shook hands as they stood up from the table. Dan left with a promise to see Patrick soon and Jane was led back to his cell.

xXxXxXx

Cho was going on close to thirty-six hours with no sleep. He didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to sit and look through page after page on his computer screen. He felt guilty even thinking about going home. Lisbon was still out there and Jane was in jail. He sent Grace and Rigsby to get something to eat. None of them had stopped for lunch. He'd decided he would go downstairs to the gym to shower and change into clothes from his go bag when Grace and Wayne returned from dinner. He would try to catch a couple of hours of sleep on Lisbon's couch.

Cho's phone rang. The caller ID showed Dan Jacobs. "Hey Dan. Did you get to meet with Jane?"

"Yes, I just left there. I'm on my way over to SAC PD to see what information I can get." Dan said.

"Was Jane okay?" Cho asked, concerned for his friend.

"Yeah, he seemed okay. Given some of the stories you've told me about Patrick, he definitely is not himself." Dan explained.

"He was okay with your explanation as to why I haven't been there?" Cho asked.

"Yeah, he understood. His concern is finding Teresa."

"Hopefully we can do that soon. So Dan, do you think there's any possibility of getting Jane out on bail?" Cho asked.

"It's hard to tell right now without seeing what SAC PD has, but given what I do know, it may be hard to do. I mean there's no evidence Teresa is dead, but with the blood evidence and the necklace, they will be able to charge him."

"Thanks for doing this Dan. I know I've told you some crazy stories about Jane over the years, but he's a good man and I absolutely don't believe he did this." Cho said.

"I don't believe he did it either. I've gotten really good at judging whether my clients are telling the truth, I believe he is."

"Thanks again. Let me know what you find out at SAC PD. I'm not confident they are sending me everything they have.

"I'll let you know." Dan said.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for your continued reviews. I've had some trouble responding to some of the reviewers, I keep getting an error message. I'm starting Chapter 12. I like to stay 3 or 4 chapters ahead of what I have published so I can make changes if I need to. It looks like this story will be around 20 chapters long and I hope to finish before the the end of my vacation next weekend. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 8

"Mr. Jacobs, I'm Officer Andrew Dean, what can I do for you?"

"I'm representing Patrick Jane. I'd like to see all the evidence you have in the case." Dan explained.

"You're representing Patrick Jane?" Dean asked. He knew who Dan Jacobs was. He was a first rate criminal attorney and one he didn't think Jane could afford.

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Dan asked.

"No. No, not at all. I didn't realize Mr. Jane had the resources to pay your type of fees. I mean he's a government employee." Dean explained.

Dan found the conversation a bit perplexing. "Well, Mr. Jane did rather well in his days as a psychic so he can cover my fees. Thank you for your concern though."

"Oh, I'm not concerned. I mean all the evidence points to him, really a cut and dry case. I know you're good, but I don't think even you will get him out of this." Dan said.

"Well, again, thanks for your concern, but I love hard cases. Those are my favorite, makes me work harder." Dan said. He hated gloating, hot shot police officers, who thought they had everything sewn up.

"Come on Mr. Jacobs. I will show you what we have." Dean said.

xXxXxXx

Teresa hating sitting, doing nothing. Knowing Jane was alive had given her a little peace of mind. Finding out he was in jail had been disconcerting. However, Jane had gotten out of so many rough spots in all the years she knew him, she was confident he could find a way out this time. She knew Cho and the team would help him. She just wished she knew why this whole thing was happening. Sitting around with too much time on your hands can lead your mind down some crazy rabbit holes.

Teresa heard the door opening and someone walking towards her. "I see you're still awake Agent Lisbon."

"And your point is?"

"I just assumed you would be asleep at this time of night." the voice said.

"Nah, I enjoy the ambiance of this place at night." Teresa said with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

"Ah, I really admire your spunk. The sarcasm, not so much."

Teresa stayed quiet. She wasn't as calm as she wanted it to appear and she didn't want this man to get any satisfaction from her fear.

"Do you have enough water and food?" the man asked.

"Why do you care?" Teresa bit back.

"Oh, it's not that I actually care. I'm just not ready for you to die yet."

"Why am I here then? Why are you keeping me like this?" Teresa asked.

"I guess I can give you a little insight into my plans. I've seen all your accolades in the paper. You and Mr. Jane. You two have done well for yourselves."

"Okay. So."

"I'm aware of how close you and Mr. Jane are. You want everyone to believe you're just partners, but I know you're more than that. You two are a couple and living together."

"Okay. I'm not sure how you know that since we haven't told anyone. I also don't see how that's any of your business."

"Well, my dear Agent Lisbon, I've waited for just the right time and circumstance to get my revenge. Your recent accolades and your relationship with Mr. Jane gave me the perfect opportunity."

"I still don't understand. If I knew who you were I might be able to figure out the why better."

"Ah, Agent Lisbon. I think I'll leave that as a mystery for a while." the man said.

Teresa was becoming frustrated. She just wanted to know what this guy's game was. "What is your plan? Just tell me."

"I think I can do that. It actually is the reason I'm here tonight. My plan was to take you, and frame Mr. Jane for your disappearance and death."

"Well I'm not dead so how is your plan working so far?" Teresa asked, with more attitude than she felt.

"Well, you're not dead _yet_. All in good time. I need you alive a while longer for my plan to be more satisfying."

"What does that mean, more satisfying. Killing me wouldn't be satisfying enough?"

"Oh no, not nearly as satisfying as watching you suffer knowing Patrick Jane is in jail and will be tried and convicted for your murder."

"How do you plan to do that? Without a body, I don't think Patrick would ever be convicted for my murder."

"The evidence is stacking up against him. There will be more evidence found shortly. And on that note, here, take your clothes off and put this on. I need your clothes. All of them, bra and panties too."

Teresa could see the dark figure, dressed in all black, including a black hood over his head, pushing something through the bars. She looked at it in disbelief.

"A prison jumpsuit? You want me to put on a prison jumpsuit?"

"Kind of fitting don't you think? I mean, you are in a cell."

"Cute, very cute." Teresa said as she stood looking at the jumpsuit. "No. I'm not putting this on."

"You will or I'll make Mr. Jane's life far more miserable than it is now." the man said.

"Okay. Why do you want all my clothes? What are you going to do with them?" Teresa quickly agreed, not wanting Jane to suffer in anyway because of her refusal to comply.

"All in good time my dear Agent Lisbon. But I do have another surprise for you."

Teresa could see a computer set up on a box. The computer screen lit up, lighting up her cell. Shortly after the computer came on, Teresa gasped. She was watching a clip from the news of Jane's arrest for her disappearance and possible murder. 'Oh Patrick.' Teresa cried to herself. He looked disheveled and tired, his hands cuffed behind his back. She listened as the news reporter spoke.

" _Patrick Jane, CBI consultant, was arrested tonight for the disappearance and possible murder of CBI Special Agent Teresa Lisbon. Mr. Jane and Agent Lisbon were partners. As you will remember, they were responsible for the capture of California's most notorious serial killer, Red John. They were also responsible for the discovery and dismantling of the clandestine organization, the Blake Association. It makes you wonder what could have caused one of these first class partners to turn on the other. Stay tuned in for further updates to the case_."

Teresa was stunned. She couldn't believe what she'd just seen. This was really happening; Jane had been arrested for her disappearance. As Teresa sat in stunned silence, the news feed started over again.

"I think I'll leave this right here so you can see your boyfriend's arrest again." the man said. He stepped up a little closer and indicated for Teresa to put her clothes through the cell.

The man took her clothes and faded into the shadows of the warehouse. She heard the door close just as the news clip started over again. 'He must have put the program on a loop to keep playing.' Teresa thought.

She was correct. All Teresa could do was put her pillow over her head in attempt to drown out the news program that played over and over and over all night long.

xXxXxXx

"Cho." Dan said.

"Hey, Dan. Nice to see you. Van Pelt, Rigsby, this is Dan Jacobs. He's Jane's attorney."

"Mr. Jacobs. Nice to meet you." Grace said.

"Please call me Dan."

"Okay Dan, call me Grace."

"Dan, I'm Wayne." Rigsby said, shaking Dan's hand.

"Let's talk in Lisbon's office. I feel like we're back to the Red John days of not trusting anyone. But until we know who's done this, I don't trust anyone else." Cho said as he led them to Lisbon's office.

Once they were in the office with the door closed and Grace had swept the room for bugs, the team seemed more at ease.

"Cho said you saw Jane. How is he?" Grace asked.

"He seemed okay. From what I've heard about him from Cho, he definitely wasn't the character I'd been picturing. But given the circumstances, I understand." Dan explained.

"Jane can get really dark when he's depressed. Lisbon's disappearance would do that to him. I know he must be so worried about her." Grace said.

"He is very concerned about Teresa. He requested I call her Teresa, not Agent Lisbon. Said Agent Lisbon make her seem like a stranger."

"That sounds like Jane." Grace said.

"His concern for her and the knowledge that your team is one hundred percent behind him, is keeping him up. Right now, I think he's okay." Dan stated.

"What did you find out at SAC PD?" Cho asked.

"Well, some interesting things. Let's go over what you know first. You know the blood that was found at the scene belongs to Teresa. Patrick's DNA was not found on the sheets. The necklace, that also belongs to Teresa. The bloody handprint on the back of the car is Patrick's." Dan explained.

"Yes, that's about all we know. Other than there were no signs of Jane living at Lisbon's house." Grace said.

"Yes. What you don't know is that the fingerprints in the blood on the steering wheel belonged to Patrick. Also, Patrick told me the picture of him and Teresa on the beach in Malibu was taken on his phone and Teresa's phone. He said there was an older man on the beach and they asked him to take their picture. They both gave him their phones to take a picture. However, there was no picture like that on either phone. There was no evidence the pictures had been erased either."

"Grace? Do you know of a way to find out if the pictures were erased although there's no evidence on the phone right now? Cho asked.

"Maybe. The FBI could probably do that. Can we get the phones sent to them for analysis?" Grace asked.

"I can file a court order to have the phones sent to the FBI. That will take some time, but maybe it'll work." Dan said.

Cho could tell Dan was deep in thought. "What is it Dan?"

"This is considered a high profile case, given the notoriety the CBI and your team have received over the last ten years, especially this last year. As you know, Cho, I have represented quite a few high profile clients. The police in those cases work extra hard to make sure all the Is are dotted and all the Ts are crossed." Dan started explaining.

"Yeah, that seems right." Rigsby said.

"Well, in this case, at the expense of sounding silly, it seems all the Is have multiple dots and all the Ts have multiple crosses. I can't put my finger on it, but something just doesn't seem right. It's like putting a puzzle together. You have a piece that looks like it fits just right in a spot, but there's something about it that tells you it doesn't go there. All the pieces of this case seem to fit together and all point at Patrick, but there's something that doesn't seem right about how they fit together." Dan explained.

"I understand completely. I've said since the being, this case is just too clean. One of the reasons Officer Dean is so convinced that Jane did this is because he is a manipulator and con man. While that was true of Jane in the past, he isn't like that in his personal life anymore. Sure Jane manipulates and cons suspects to get the information we need to close cases. I believe if Jane had done this, he would have manipulated the evidence in such a way that it didn't point solely at him. Jane would never have everything point to him. He'd have had many things pointed in many directions, most away from him." Cho stated.

"I agree Cho. It is too clean for a man like Jane. I don't mean any disrespect by that." Dan said.

"None taken. Dean's reasoning was that Jane probably wanted to make it seem too clean. That was his way of manipulating the evidence. However, that would have Jane putting all his cards on the table at one time. Again, if Jane had done this, he would've had cards spread out everywhere. We'd be finding cards around every corner if you know what I mean and still finding them long after this case is settled." Cho said with half a laugh.

"Yeah, Jane would never make anything easy." Van Pelt added.

"I get what you mean Cho, and I agree. It all goes back to that puzzle. All the pieces are fitting where they seem to go, but something doesn't look right. I need something to counteract the evidence. Have you all found anything that might lead us to someone else?" Dan asked.

"No. Everyone is accounted for or has alibis. There are no red flags." Rigsby said.

"Well, I'm going to head back to my office to get started on that court order for the phones to be sent to the FBI. I need to get ready for Jane's bail hearing on Monday. If we don't have something by then, I'm afraid he'll be denied bail." Dan said as he got ready to leave.

"Thanks Dan, for everything. Let us know if anything comes up. We'll continue to do our research and we'll let you know what we find."

xXxXxXx

Teresa was on edge from listening to the news clip over and over again. She couldn't find a way to block out the noise. 'Wait.' Teresa thought to herself. Maybe she could figure out a way to reach the computer and possibly find a way to send a message to her team. If the computer had internet access, she could get in touch with Grace. She didn't know where she was to give Grace directions, but maybe Grace could run a search on the internet connection. She knew it was a huge long shot, but she had to try.

The computer was sitting on top of a box about three feet off the ground and about four feet from the cell. Teresa looked around for something to use. There was nothing that would reach that far.

"Think Teresa!" she said aloud.

The sheets. Maybe she could throw the sheet out and over the computer and then pull it to herself. She pulled the flat sheet from the bed. She stuck the sheet through the bars of the cell. She threw it out away from the computer to practice. She didn't think she would get too many tries. Once she was confident she could throw the sheet out far enough, she took a deep breath and threw it out towards the computer.

"YES!" She'd thrown the sheet directly over the computer. She moved the part of the sheet that was in her hand to try and make the sheet fall a little more around the top of the boxes. She was proud of herself. She couldn't have thrown it any better. She was trying to decide if it'd be best to make one big yank in an attempt to get the computer. She didn't think pulling it slowly would work because the sheet was too light, it would just fall off. If she yanked it, maybe she could get it to fall close enough to the cell for her to grab it.

Teresa took a deep breath and said a little prayer. She counted down from three and yanked. The computer and the box it was sitting on flew off the top of the other boxes. The computer landed close enough that she could reach it. She pulled the sheet back into the cell, then reached out for the computer.

When Teresa reached the computer she pulled it into the cell. She quickly sat down on the bed to see if she had an internet connection. She clicked the Internet Explorer icon. "Damn. No internet." she said to anyone who could possibly hear her. At least she was able to stop the news video clip.

Teresa sat back feeling defeated. She'd been so excited thinking she might have a chance to reach someone for help. Just when she had a glimmer of hope, it was dashed.


	9. Chapter 9

**SURPRISE! Two chapters today.**

Chapter 9

Jane lay with his eyes closed. He missed his couches at the CBI, the one in the bullpen and the one in Teresa's office. However, he missed the bed he shared with Teresa more. He could feel the pull of depression. The dark, deep hole he needed to stay away from. He knew Teresa had probably prayed several times over the past two days. Even if he didn't believe, he was glad she had that comfort.

He needed _something_. Some information about Teresa, information about the progress of the case, something. He could still feel Teresa; he knew with all his being she was still alive. That was the only thing, at the moment, keeping him away from that dark, deep hole.

Cho felt semi rested for the first time in a couple of days. He'd been able to get a decent meal and a few hours of sleep. Cho didn't know why Jane liked to sleep on couches so much they were uncomfortable if you asked him. However, he'd been thankful for the couch in Lisbon's office.

His phone ran, the caller ID showing Dan. "Hey Dan." he answered.

"Hello Cho. You got a minute?"

"For you, absolutely. Especially if you have some information for me." Cho said.

"I filed the court order for the cell phones. I hope to hear something on that soon. Jane's hearing is set for tomorrow morning at 9:00. I'm just checking in to see if you have anything new." Dan explained.

"Nothing new. I wish I did. So you still think Jane will have a hard time being granted bail?" Cho asked.

"Yes, I think the evidence in the case with nothing at this point to refute it, will be enough to keep him in jail."

"What if I put up my house and he's released into my custody, along with whatever bail the judge decides. Do you think he would have a chance at bail then?" Cho asked. He'd been thinking about this all night.

"Are you sure about that Cho?" Dan asked. "It puts your house in jeopardy."

"It only puts my house in jeopardy if Jane runs and doesn't show up for court. He'll show up. He won't run, especially if he knows I have something to lose. Do you think it'll work?" Cho said with confidence.

"We can try. If you're sure. It's not the usual way things are done. But…" Dan stated.

"Well, Jane's not your usual suspect." Cho laughed. "And, yes, I'm sure. We need him looking at the evidence, it's what he's good at. Finding that small mistake a criminal makes that no one else can see."

"Okay. We'll try it. All the judge can do is say no." Dan said. "Meet me at the courthouse."

Patrick sat at the defense table listening to all the legal speak going on around him. It was surreal sitting there listening to everyone talk about him and his involvement in Teresa's disappearance and possible death. He tried to tune out everything around him, not wanting to hear any of the details.

"Your honor, we ask that Patrick Jane be held without bail pending trial for the disappearance and murder of CBI Special Agent Teresa Lisbon." Ardiles stated.

"Mr. Jacobs?" Judge Lansing indicated to Dan.

"Your honor we ask that bail be set at one million dollars. In addition, CBI Agent Kimball Cho will put up his home and he asks the Patrick Jane be placed in his custody pending trial." Dan stated.

Jane sat up and looked back at Cho, then up at Dan. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Cho was willing to put up his house for him. He couldn't let Cho do that. But Ardiles jumped up before Jane had a chance to intervene.

"Your honor! That is highly inappropriate. Mr. Jane is a consultant with the CBI. Having him placed in the custody of Agent Cho would jeopardize the case." Ardiles said, shocked at what Dan and Cho were doing.

"Mr. Ardiles, do you believe Agent Cho has a motive to taint this case before trial?" Judge Lansing questioned.

"Uh, no sir. I'm not questioning Agent Cho's credibility. I'm just saying Patrick Jane is a flight risk." Ardiles answered, trying to quickly find a substantial argument to the defense's sudden plan.

"Well Mr. Ardiles, that is what the one-million-dollar bail and Agent Cho's house is to guarantee. This is an unusual proposition but I'm inclined to grant it." the judge stated.

Jane reached up and touched the sleeve of Dan's coat. "I need to talk to you for a minute, now."

"Your honor, may have a moment with my client?" Dan asked the judge.

"I'll give you a minute, Mr. Jacobs." the judge agreed.

Jane turned around to Cho. "I won't let you do this."

"You _will_ let me do this." Cho said with his usual straight face.

"No, I won't. I can't let you put up your house for me." Jane said emphatically.

"Do you plan to run?" Cho asked.

"No, of course not." Jane said.

"Do you or don't you want to find Teresa?"

Jane was stunned at Cho's question. "Of course I want Teresa found. How can you ask me that?"

"Jane, this is our best shot at finding her. Everything is pointing at you and we need you to do what you do best and that is finding that needle in a haystack. We need to find that one thing that will lead us to Teresa." Cho explained.

"I'll put up my Malibu house, plus the million-dollar bail." Jane said.

"No. I want it to be my house." Cho said.

"Why? Then you have nothing to lose." Jane asked.

"Because if you know I have something to lose, you won't run. Not that I believe you will. But it also gives me some leverage to keep you under control."

Jane knew Cho was doing this for his own good. Cho also knew he'd never do anything to jeopardize Cho's house. Smart man, smart friend.

"Okay. If the judge agrees, I'll go along. And Cho? Thanks." Jane said.

"Your honor, we're ready to continue."

"So Mr. Jacobs. Is your client in agreement with Agent Cho's involvement?" the judge asked.

"Yes sir, he is." Dan answered.

"Your honor. The state still has an objection to this. Mr. Jane has no permanent address in Sacramento. While he does own a home in Malibu, we believe he's still a flight risk." Ardiles stated.

Jane could see the judge thinking. He hoped this worked. While he wasn't happy about Cho putting up his house as security, he was eager to get out and start looking for Teresa. If Cho was right, he might just be able to find something everyone else was missing.

"While I understand the serious nature of this case, setting a one million-dollar bail, along with the home of Agent Cho being put up as security and Mr. Jane released into Agent Cho's custody, I'm inclined to grant bail."

"Your honor." Ardiles pleaded.

"Your objection is noted Mr. Ardiles. I will grant bail in the amount of one million dollars, plus the home of Agent Kimball Cho. I will also place Patrick Jane in the custody of CBI Agent Kimball Cho." the judge stated.

Jane let out the deep breath he didn't realize he was holding. He looked back at Cho who had a small smile on his face. Jane mouthed thank you to Cho and turned back to the front of the courtroom.

"Mr. Jane? You are aware of the enormity of what Agent Cho has at stake here?" the judge asked Jane.

"Yes sir, I do." Jane answered.

"Not only his home, but his reputation?" the judge continued.

"Yes sir. I will do everything in my power to protect Agent Cho's investment in me. I appreciate it more than words can express and I'm grateful for what he's doing." Jane explained.

"See that you do. Also Mr. Jacobs. I have signed the court order to have the cell phones in this case sent to the FBI."

"Thank you your honor." Dan said.

"If there's nothing further, this hearing is adjourned." the judge said, bringing his gavel down, signifying Jane's ability to search for the person who meant the most to him.

It took several hours to get all the paper work in order for Jane's release. Cho had given Dan all the information needed on his house. At 12:30 p.m., Jane walked out of jail to Cho and Dan waiting for him. Jane couldn't believe he was free or how good it felt. However, that freedom was overshadowed by Teresa's absence.

"Good afternoon gentlemen. Thank you for all your help." Jane said as they reached Dan's vehicle and got inside.

"Your welcome Jane. But, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I just put my house up for you. I own that house outright, no mortgage. I paid it off with money I received after my father's death. It means a lot to me. I believe you had nothing to do with this. However, I know how you operate and how much you want to find Teresa. There will be no funny business and _EVERYTHING_ you do; you will clear with me first. You go nowhere and I mean _NOWHERE_ without me. Do you understand me?" Cho said.

Jane was proud of Cho. "Yes Cho. I completely understand and I agree to your terms. I'm having your name added to the title of my house. I'm having it listed as Patrick Jane OR Kimball Cho. That way, if I were to disappear, you could sell my house without me needing to sign anything."

"Thanks Jane. That really isn't necessary if you agree to my terms. As I said, I want my house, not yours. Now let's get going and find Teresa." Cho said.

"First, I need to stop by the bank and take care of Dan's retainer. He did a hell of a job for me today and I need to make sure he's paid."

Jane, Cho and Dan arrived at CBI Headquarters after a trip to Jane's bank. Jane had paid Dan his retainer and made a hefty payment towards his future bill. They walked into the bullpen.

" _Jane_!" Van Pelt squealed, jumping up running to hug him. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Good to see you too Grace. I'm glad I'm here likewise. Rigsby, good to see you too. What'd you tell Dean you shouldn't have?" Jane said.

"Uh…nothing…uh…well…" Rigsby face turned red.

"Just joking Rigsby. I expect you stuck your foot in your mouth a time or two. I won't hold that against you." Jane said with a smile.

"Uh, thanks Jane. Glad you're here."

"Thanks Rigsby. I'm going to make myself a cup of tea and then I want to get started on the evidence." Jane said.

The team, along with Dan, sat down and started going over everything they had. Jane had hoped he would sit down, look over the evidence quickly and find the one thing they needed to find Teresa. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Dan had to go back to his office, but the team continued to review everything.

Jane was still trying to digest the information that both his and Teresa's cell phones didn't contain a copy of the picture they'd taken at the beach. He hoped the FBI could get something off the phones that showed the picture had been there. He really wanted that picture back for himself too, it was his favorite.

"Whoever did this has been planning it for some time. They've covered everything. It's not something anyone could do without a lot of planning. There are a few things he couldn't cover so well though." Jane said.

"What things, Jane?" Van Pelt asked.

"Well, the first is my fingerprints were only found downstairs at Lisbon's house. Even if I wasn't living there, that wouldn't be out of place because everyone knows I've been there many times. However, my fingerprints were not found upstairs. This would be understandable if I wasn't living there, adding credence to Dean's conclusion that I was lying about living there. My question is, why were there no fingerprints found upstairs? Lisbon's weren't even found. It proves someone wiped down everything upstairs. They knew police couldn't find my fingerprints upstairs. However, there was no way to get rid of my prints without getting rid of Lisbon's prints as well."

"Dean believes you wiped away the fingerprints." Cho said.

"I'm sure he does. Makes his job easier." Jane said.

"What's another thing that looks suspicious to you? Rigsby asked.

"Looking at the photos of the handprint on the back of Lisbon's vehicle and the prints on the steering wheel, I have many questions. The print on the back of the vehicle looks too perfect. I mean look at it." Jane said, holding up the picture. "The handprint looks like it was placed there carefully. The whole outline of the hand is there and all the ridges of the palm are visible. I don't think it would look so perfect if I were trying to plant all this evidence. Have any of you ever seen a handprint at a crime scene with every detail in place?"

"Just another thing Dean says you did on purpose." Cho said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Cho." Jane said, giving Cho a questioning look.

"Just playing devil's advocate. I've had all these same arguments with Dean." Cho said.

"What about the prints on the steering wheel?" Rigsby asked.

"The prints are only on one side of the steering wheel. The left side, meaning it would have been my left hand if it were me. Look at the print on the vehicle, the left hand print. Then look at the photo of Teresa's necklace. It's in my left hand. There was no blood at all on my right hand. Was I supposed to be walking around with my right hand in the air the whole time like this?" Jane asked, holding his right hand over his head. "Why would I be using my non-dominant hand to do all this?"

"Now that's a good question." Cho said. "I agree it looks suspicious."

"Another thing. If I were doing something like this to Teresa, why do I not have scratches on my body somewhere? I can tell you, Teresa would have fought. If there was just one person attempting to do something to her, even me, she would fight. She would make sure she left evidence somehow." Jane said.

"I agree. The boss is a tough, fighter. She would've done whatever she could to get away." Rigsby stated.

"This is a good start, but we need more. These things alone aren't enough." Cho said.

"Aren't you just a bundle of positivity." Jane said.

"Jane, you know I want to find Teresa and get you cleared in this case. We just need far more to change SAC PD's view of your involvement. And besides, I want the deed to my house back." Cho said with smile.

"The deed to your house? What does that have to do with the case?" Rigsby asked.

"Our fine Agent Kimball Cho here put up his house and had me released into his custody to get me released from jail." Jane said with a smile on his face. He was glad to lighten up the mood in the room.

"Wow Cho. What a great thing to do." Van Pelt said.

"Yeah well, that may be, but I need both of you to help keep an eye on him. You know how he is and what kind of trouble he can get into." Cho said.

"Cho, I told you I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize your house. I promise I'll be good. Scout's honor." Jane said, holding up his fingers the way scouts did.

Although the team was very concerned about their friend and boss, they couldn't help but laugh at Jane's fingers in the air, displaying the symbol of scout's honor.


	10. Chapter 10

**WARNING: There is an accusation of rape. Nothing happens and no description only an accusation. Just want you to be warned if even the mention of that might upset someone.**

 **I still done own TM, that distinction belongs to Bruno Heller. I only own my imagination here.**

Chapter 10

"Where the hell was Patrick Jane transferred to? Why wasn't he brought back here after his bail hearing?" Dean yelled. He knew he should've attended the hearing, but he couldn't get out of his meeting with the chief.

"Uh, he was released on bail. Damnedest thing I ever heard of." Officer Walters, one of the officers in Dean's unit said. "The judge set a one-million-dollar bail and that CBI agent, you know Cho, put up his house as additional collateral, plus asked that Jane be released into his custody. Never heard anything like it."

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew Dan Jacobs was a good lawyer but he never expected something like this.

"Why didn't you call me?" Dean asked.

"You were meeting with the chief. Besides, they kept him in one of the courthouse holding cells until all the paperwork was ready. He never came back here." Walters said.

"That man is guilty of kidnapping and murdering a CBI agent and they just release him like that? He's guilty as hell, he should still be in jail." Dean said angrily.

"Look Dean. You'll get him. The evidence is strong. He'll be found guilty at trial and sent to prison. Your reputation is intact." Walters explained.

"I don't give a crap about my reputation, I intend to make sure that man goes to jail for his crimes."

"Look dude, I know you're bucking for a promotion, but get a grip. You've done good work on this case, and you'll be rewarded for it. Once the guy's convicted, you'll get it."

Dean took a deep breath, turned and walked back to his desk.

xXxXxXx

Jane woke up and stretched. He couldn't believe he'd actually slept. Being out of jail and feeling like he was actually working towards finding Teresa probably helped.

"I don't know how you can find couches so comfortable to sleep on. I slept for a couple of hours on the couch in Lisbon's office and I still don't think my back has recovered." Cho said.

Jane laughed. "I find this couch very comfortable. Now the couch in Lisbon's office is way more comfortable than the one she had before. She threatened to shoot me when I bought it, but she finally had to admit the new one is far more comfortable."

"Yeah, well, I don't. I find a bed far more comfortable." Cho said.

"I have to say, I prefer Teresa's bed to all the couches." Jane said.

Cho looked at Jane, thinking Jane was joking and trying to make him feel uncomfortable. However, one look at Jane's face and he knew he wasn't joking, he had that dark look on his face.

"Jane. I know you miss her. We all miss her. You have more reason now than before, but you have to stay positive. You staying positive is the only way we're going to find her.

Jane sat quietly for several minutes. Cho could see the war raging in Jane's mind. Jane had changed since the end of Red John, but he knew Jane would always deal with the demons of guilt over the death of his family. He'd hoped Lisbon could help rid Jane of those demons. While they seemed to be more under control, if Lisbon wasn't found, Jane would enter that deep, dark world of overwhelming guilt and never return. He'd always blame himself for her death as well.

"I'm going to run downstairs to the gym to shower and shave. I have a change of clean clothes down there." Jane said.

"I'll go with you." Cho said.

"Uh, Cho. I'm pretty sure I can do that by myself."

"Yeah, well, you're stuck with me. I'm not letting you out of my sight." Cho said.

"Cho, I told you I wouldn't run. I'm not going to do anything to put your house in jeopardy." Jane stated.

"I believe that. But I also believe whoever is involved in this is smart. If someone is with you at all times, anything that comes up from here on out cannot be tied to you." Cho explained.

"Fine. But don't think you're taking a shower with me. Now if it was Teresa offering to keep an eye on me…"

" _Jaaannne!_ " Cho pleaded. He knew he'd set himself up for that one and he also knew Jane couldn't pass up an opportunity to make him cringe.

xXxXxXx

Teresa sat with the computer in her lap. She'd opened every file and folder looking for anything that might give a lead into who was keeping her there. She wished Grace was there to look. Grace might have a way to find something. While she didn't want to hear the news report again, she did want to see Patrick. She'd played the report up to the point he appeared and then stopped the video. She didn't like seeing Jane the way he was in the video, but just being able to see him at all made her feel better.

She knew the guy would be back at some point and find the computer in the cell. So what. What would he do to her? He'd made it clear he didn't want her dead yet. He wanted her to suffer. And suffer she was. She wanted to stay strong, but knowing Patrick was in jail for this, was weighing heavy on her. She knew he'd be devastated by her absence.

She looked at his picture on the computer screen one more time before closing the top. She wanted the battery to last as long as possible so she could look at Patrick's picture as often as she needed. She needed that more often than not. She laid down on the bed, hugging the computer to her chest as if it were Patrick himself.

xXxXxXx

When Cho and Jane made their way back upstairs to the bullpen, they found Officer Dean sitting at Cho's desk.

"Officer Dean. What do we owe this pleasure?" Cho asked, not at all happy to see him there.

"Very cunning move you made today Agent Cho. Having Mr. Jane here released into your custody and putting up your house as collateral. Mr. Jane must have taught you well, with his cunning manipulations." Dean said.

"Like I asked, why are you here?" Cho said.

"Some clothes were discovered a few miles from where Agent Lisbon's car was found. There was a pair of pants and a shirt matching the description of what Agent Lisbon was wearing when she disappeared. We also found a bra and pair of woman's panties a few feet away. There was blood on the pants and panties. If the blood turns out to be Agent Lisbon's I may be able to add rape to your charges." Dean said with an air of satisfaction.

Jane ran at Dean. "I WOULD NEVER RAPE HER. YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Rigsby caught him before he could reach the SAC PD officer. Jane was struggling in Rigsby's grasp, his heart about to beat out of his chest.

"Well, I guess that just proves Mr. Jane has an explosive temper. Just more evidence he is capable of carrying out this crime."

Cho looked at Rigsby. "Take him to Lisbon's office." indicating to Jane. Rigsby understood and half carried Jane towards the office.

Before anyone could move, Cho was nose to nose with Dean. "How dare you come into this office and accuse Jane of raping Lisbon. Look around, you pompous jack ass. No one here believes Jane had anything to do with Lisbon's disappearance and there's no way in hell he'd rape her."

"It appears he has everyone here fooled then or everyone is covering for him. Either way." Dean said.

"I don't know what your agenda is. I'm sure you think this case can further your career somehow. But let me tell you one thing, Officer Dean, when this case is over, Agent Lisbon is back, and Jane is cleared of all charges, I'll make sure you're nothing more than a meter maid." Cho said with more fury than anyone had ever seen from him before.

"We'll see about that. Once Agent Lisbon's body is found and Jane is in prison for murder, maybe you're the one that'll be working as a meter maid. I have to go. I have an appointment with DA Ardiles to discuss this new evidence." Dean gloated, heading towards the elevators.

It took every ounce of restraint Cho had not follow Dean and punch him in the face. However, as much as he desired to do that, he knew it wouldn't help Jane at all. If fact, he thought Dean probably wanted that to happened. He wasn't giving Dean any ammunition to have the CBI, or himself, banned from the case.

Cho walked over to the entrance to Lisbon's office. Rigsby, who had been watching Jane, turned to Cho. "This is not good. Not good at all."

"I know Rigs." Cho said as he walked over to where Jane was in a corner of Lisbon's office. He was sitting on his knees, with his hands behind his head, rocking back and forth.

Cho gently touched Jane's shoulder. "Jane?"

"I didn't rape her. I didn't, I didn't rape her. I could never do that." Jane cried.

"I know that Jane and so does everyone else out there. No one will ever believe it." Cho said.

Jane continued to rock back and forth crying. "I don't know how much longer I can do this. I don't know how much longer I can believe Teresa is alive."

Cho leaned down, trying to look Jane in the face. "You can do this and you will. You will and I will make sure you do. Not one of us is ever going to believe she's dead until they find a body. But that's not going to happen. I won't believe that and neither will you. I'm going to call Dan and you're going to get yourself together. We have work to do."

Jane wanted to thank Cho. He knew this was taking every ounce of bravado Cho had. He knew this was affecting Cho more than he was letting on. He appreciated Cho being strong for him when he couldn't be strong himself.

"Teresa. Talk to me. Tell me you're okay." Jane said aloud. He didn't know how long he sat there or when Rigsby left his sentinel position at the door, but Jane felt a wave a peace come over him. He felt Teresa's presence again. He felt she was alive. He would believe she was alive until he felt her take her last breath, knowing that if she took hers, his would soon follow.

xXxXxXx

"Dan. It's Cho. Have you heard about the latest evidence?"

"Not yet. I just got back from court and haven't had an opportunity to look through my messages or mail yet. What kind of evidence was found?" Dan said, not liking the tone of Cho's voice.

"Dean showed up here at the CBI and announced, in front of everyone within hearing distance of the bull pen, they believe Teresa's clothes were found a few miles from the location of the vehicle. There was a shirt, pair of pants, bra and panties. He said there was blood found on the pants and panties and he threatened to charge Jane with rape if the blood proved to be Lisbon's." Cho said, as angry now as when Dean made his announcement.

"Wow. I'm sorry Cho. How's Jane? I assume he didn't take that announcement very well." Dan said, worried about his client.

"That is a huge understatement. Rigsby was able to catch him before he tackled Dean. It took every ounce I could muster not to beat the living crap out of him myself. But I knew that would only add fuel to the fire and give Dean more of a reason to go after Jane." Cho explained.

"Yeah, that definitely wouldn't have been good, for either of you. Let me call over to SAC PD. I'm going to ask for the clothes to be examined by an independent lab." Dan said.

"What are you thinking?" Cho asked.

"I'm thinking I want the blood and the blood patterns examined to see if they could've happened naturally, during an assault, or if the blood appears to be planted. I also want to find out where the clothes were found, by whom and when. The area around the location where the vehicle was found was thoroughly searched. Depending on where the clothes were found, may give us a good indication of whether or not they were planted after the search was done. I believe they were planted there after the search." Dan explained.

"This could mean the abductor's getting nervous. I bet they were planted after word got out Jane was released from jail. As long as he was in jail, there was no need for the clothes to be found. Maybe this is the break we've been needing." Cho said, feeling better since this whole thing began.

"I'll let you know what I find out. This will take some time. The SAC PD lab has to finish their analysis before I can have the clothing sent to my lab. I'll start the paperwork as soon as I get off the phone and have it filed. Just be prepared for a little wait. I'm also going to ask Officer Dean to refrain from showing up at the CBI again. If he wants to talk to you or Jane, he has to contact me first. If that doesn't work, I'll ask Judge Lansing for an order to that effect. I'll do my best to keep him away from both of you. Jane's already my client, I'm not looking for another one." Dan said.

Cho chuckled, appreciating Dan's attempt to lighten the conversation. "Thanks Dan. I really appreciate it."


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks again for all the great feedback and for continuing to follow this story. I will probably post Chapter 12 later today.**

 **And, as usual, I don't own The Mentalist. Wish I did!**

Chapter 11

Teresa woke with a start at the sound of the door opening. She quickly hid the computer under her pillow. She knew it was silly and he would notice the computer missing, but it made her feel like she had a little control.

"Good evening Agent Lisbon."

Lisbon didn't acknowledge his greeting. She continued sitting on the bed as she heard him approaching the cell.

"Well, you've been busy. I see you managed to get ahold of the computer. Bravo for your effort. However, you have to know by now that I'm far smarter than to leave it here with an internet connection. Did you spend your time looking at your boyfriend's picture, pining for his company?" the man asked.

It took every bit of effort she had to sit quietly and not respond to his attempt to bait her. She decided she wouldn't respond to anything he said and give him the pleasure of seeing her upset.

"I guess the cat has your tongue. I think I can make you say something." He said.

Teresa remained silent.

"Today, I saw your boyfriend. In fact, I was in the same room as him." he said, believing he heard a small intake of breath from the agent and continued. "He was told your clothes were found not far from where he and your vehicle were found. He was also informed of the fact that blood was found on the clothing, more specifically on your pants and panties."

Teresa felt tears beginning to flow down her cheeks and her resolve to remain silent was waning.

"He was also informed that if the blood found on the clothing was yours, he would probably be charged with raping you as well as killing you."

Teresa couldn't breathe. She had to put her head between her knees to keep herself from hyperventilating. As soon as her breath returned, she started sobbing. How much more was Jane going to be able to endure? Being accused of raping her might be the last straw in keeping him on this side of sanity. Raping a woman, any woman, especially her, was not something Jane would ever do. He might've done some things in the past that were less than desirable, criminal even, but rape was never something he could ever be accused of.

When her resolve returned and she was able to speak she said, "Well that just proves the person who set this whole thing in motion is definitely stupid. Rape is one thing no one will believe Jane is capable of. No one." She began to laugh. Her laughing became louder and louder. She couldn't believe she was having trouble getting herself under control.

"I don't see how any of this is funny. You're really naïve if you think people won't believe Jane is capable of rape. People will believe he is capable of anything given his history." the man said, clearly angry.

"Not naïve, just confident in the man I love. People may believe he's capable of murder, but the one thing people won't believe is that he's capable of raping a woman, especially me. The person who set this up really overplayed his hand with this one. Cocky, over confident."

"We'll see who's cocky and over confident. I believe that's you. Jane will be convicted of your rape and murder, nothing over confident or cocky about that." the man said.

Teresa listened as the man walked to the door and left. She was very glad she'd made him mad and he forgot about the computer. She also couldn't believe she had laughed. There was nothing funny about this whole situation, but the thought that Jane could rape anyone was unbelievable.

A thought came to Teresa, making her sit up straight. The man said he was in the same room as Jane. Did that mean Jane wasn't really in jail or at least not in jail anymore? She only hoped that was the case.

xXxXxXx

Jane was sitting on his couch watching everyone go about their daily busy. He was finishing the cup of tea Grace made from him once he was able to leave Teresa's office. He was trying very hard to keep Dean's latest accusation out of his mind. The thought that someone could think he would rape Teresa made him sick at his stomach. He could feel the pull of that deep, dark hole, but he wasn't going there. His resolve to find Teresa, clear his name and prove Dean wrong was stronger now than ever.

Cho continued to watch him like a hawk. He wasn't even able to go to the men's room without his shadow following him. He understood Cho's reasoning, especially after Dean's last visit. Cho told him Dan was working on making sure Dean didn't show up at the CBI again unless Dan was there. He wished he never had to see Officer Dean again.

Cho had a meeting with the Division Chief and it was Rigsby's job to watch him. It would be very easy to ditch Rigsby if he wanted to stir up trouble, but he wouldn't do that to Cho. Jane knew Cho was taking a lot of heat from upper brass about his presence at the CBI. They'd rather distance themselves from Jane until the case was over with, but with him being in Cho's custody, they didn't really have a choice.

The elevator dinged and Jane looked up. Dan was walking towards the bullpen. "Hey Dan." Jane said.

"Patrick. Good to see you. How you doing?"

"I can say I've been better." Jane answered.

"I bet. But, I've taken care of Officer Dean. He will not be showing up here again unannounced. He didn't agree to that suggestion, so I had to get Judge Lansing to set him straight. I can't keep him from questioning you, but at least I have to present if he does.

"Thanks Dan."

"Where's Cho? I have some news but I'd like to share it with you both."

"He should be back soon. He had a meeting with the Division Chief. The big wigs aren't too happy about a murder suspect working in the building. Cho's taking some heat for it since I'm in his custody. He's taking his daily dose of 'What were you thinking' and 'How do you think this makes the CBI look'?" Jane said with some amusement.

"Cho can take it. Probably has that dead pan look on his face, saying nothing."

"Yep, that's Cho." Jane laughed, watching Cho exit the elevator and walk towards the bull pen.

"Hey Dan." Cho said.

"Cho. Good to see you. It appears you survived your daily dose of politics." Dan said.

Cho laughed. "Yeah. I'm getting used to it. Now I know what Lisbon's had to deal with all these years' courtesy of Jane."

"Hey, I'm sitting right here." Jane said.

Dan and Cho laughed. "Let's go into Lisbon's office to talk." Cho said.

Once they were in the office and Cho had swept for bugs, he said, "So Dan, you have some news for us?"

"Yes. We have some good news on a couple of issues. First, the FBI found the deleted picture on your phones." Dan said.

"Great! I wish I could see the look on Dean's face when he finds out this news." Cho said. "I know it's a small thing and can't explain away the big evidence, like the blood, but hopefully it proves to him Jane wasn't lying. What's the other piece of good news?"

"The clothes that were found that may belong to Teresa were found in one of the areas thoroughly searched by the search team. They would have been readily seen if they'd been there during that search. They weren't hidden. That means they were planted there later, after Jane was released from jail."

"Dean's going to believe I planted them after I was released." Jane said.

"Yes, he probably is. However, you've been watched every second since you were released. There's no way you could have planted the clothes anywhere." Cho said.

"Don't think it will make a difference, Dean's too convinced I did this. He's kind of a slimy guy. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something questionable about him." Jane said.

"He's bent on getting a promotion. If he can put away a defendant in a high profile case, especially one like Jane, he thinks it will sky rocket his career." Cho said.

"I hate when people have their own agenda. They get so focused on that agenda, they are blind to anything averse to it." Dan said.

"I agree." Cho said. "If it's a cop, that means they're affecting other people's lives for their agenda.

"I'm headed over to SAC PD. I want to deliver this information about the photo to Dean. I also want to find out if the DNA results are back on the clothes." Dan said.

"Sounds good. We plan to run through all the evidence again. I just feel like we are missing something in what we have." Cho said.

"Thanks again Dan." Jane said.

When Dan left, Cho had Van Pelt and Rigsby join him and Jane in Lisbon's office. When everyone was seated, Cho said, "Okay. Let's go back over everything we have. I have this feeling I can't shake that we're missing something in all this. Something we've overlooked or discounted."

"We've been over this stuff in great detail. I can't imagine we missed anything." Van Pelt said.

"Then it's something we've discounted. Something that didn't seem important or significant at the time." Cho stated.

"Okay. Let's go over everything again." Van Pelt said.

xXxXxXx

Teresa looked at the computer and the still shot of Jane for the hundredth time. She'd never missed anyone so bad in her life. She'd come to the realization, in all the time she'd been captive, just how deeply in love she was with Jane and how intricately he'd woven himself into every aspect of her life. She missed his smile, his hand on the small of her back any time they walked anywhere together, the feel of his hair when she ran her fingers through it, the electrifying touch of his hands as they ran over her body when they made…

"You have to pull yourself together Teresa." she said aloud. "You cannot go down that road of thought. Think about the fact you need a shower and a change of clothes. Think about the fact you need a proper toothbrush. Think about…"

It was no good. She couldn't get her mind to think of anything else but Patrick. Every time she closed her eyes he was there. Every time she opened her eyes he was there. He was there in everything she thought and did. Tears started flowing, tears that wouldn't stop.

"Patrick. I love you. I love you so much. I need you, I don't know how much longer I can do this."

xXxXxXx

Jane was pacing Lisbon's office. He was having a hard time getting his thoughts and emotions under control. There was no way he was going to be able to sort through the files and find the information they needed if he couldn't get himself under control.

Suddenly, as he was pacing, he felt like he'd hit a wall. He couldn't breathe. He bent down, hands on his knees and was gasping for breath.

"Jane. What's wrong? You okay?" Cho asked.

When Jane didn't respond, the team became concerned. "Jane?" Van Pelt asked.

Jane still didn't answer. He continued to remain as he was, bent at the knees, breathing hard and now with tears flowing.

Cho, Van Pelt and Rigsby stood up and quickly walked over to Jane. Rigsby and Cho got on each side of him and helped him walk to the couch and sit down. Once he was seated, his head dropped against the back of the couch. He couldn't seem to get his breath to even out or the tears to stop flowing.

"Jane. Talk to us. What's wrong?" Van Pelt said, sitting down beside him and rubbing his left hand.

He couldn't speak, although he was starting to get control of his breathing. The tears were starting to abate. He kept his eyes closed, but he pulled his hand on top of Grace's and gave it a squeeze. At least he could give the team that at the moment.

Grace looked up at Rigsby and Cho, she had tears in her eyes. The guys just nodded their heads, knowing Jane needed a moment to get his thoughts together.

As soon as his breathing was under control and the tears had stopped, he was able to finally speak, "I'm sorry guys."

"What happened Jane? Did you think of something?" Grace asked.

"No. All the sudden I felt like Teresa needed me." he answered.

"Well she does need you. She needs you to be strong." she said.

"Yeah I know, but this was different. I felt this sudden, overwhelming feeling that she needed me, that she was calling out to me. Like she was crying out to me. It hit me so hard, I couldn't breathe." Jane explained.

"Use it Jane. Use it to find the clue we need to resolve this and bring her home." Cho said.

Jane thought about what Cho said. The more he thought, the more his resolve strengthened. He knew where Teresa was involved, he had a hard time completely focusing. He decided he needed to become dispassionate, focus as if this case involved someone else, just another victim. He could do that for Teresa, he had to do that for Teresa.

Jane ran his hands over his face and through his hair. He sat up straight, adjusted his jacket and stood up. "Okay, guys. Let's take a new, fresh look at what we have. There's something there and I intend to find it."

Cho couldn't help but smile a small smile. He knew what Jane was doing. Jane the mentalist was back in control. He knew what this new resolve was costing Jane, but he also knew the Jane that just appeared would find the clue that would lead them to Lisbon.


	12. Chapter 12

**Another chapter today. I've loved writing this story so I want people to read it! Not real happy with this chapter, it doesn't flow as I like it to, so I will be posting Chapter 13 too, I really like it!**

Chapter 12

Jane stood up, stretched and walked to the other side of the table. Cho had set up a white board to record facts they knew and questions they had. He sat looking at the board for several minutes. He couldn't put his finger on what was eating at him. He sat back down at the table and opened a folder. When he finished he opened the next folder, then the next and the next. He threw the fourth folder on the floor.

"What's the matter Jane?" Cho asked.

"There's something here. Why can't I figure this out?" Jane asked, although he knew the answer. Every time he opened a folder, he could Teresa's face in his mind. The more he read the more he thought about her.

"I'm going to make a cup of tea and then I'm coming back in here and find the piece we need to lead us to our victim." Jane continued. He left Lisbon's office and walked into the kitchen. Rigsby had sat his note pad on the counter while he went to the men's room. Jane noticed all of Rigsby's doodles in the margin. He had to laugh at some of the things Rigsby drew. As he looked through the note pad, he noticed some notes Rigsby had made about a theft ring at SAC PD when Teresa was a rookie. He continued to read through the information on the note pad when something connected.

"CHO! I found it. I found the key." Jane yelled.

"What is it Jane? Why are you yelling?"

"This is it, right here." Jane said, pointing at Rigsby's note pad.

"Rigsby's childish drawings is the key?" Cho asked, not sure what Jane was pointing at.

"No. This right here. The theft ring at SAC PD, when Lisbon was a rookie." Jane pointed again at the note pad. "This is the key to who has Teresa.

"Jane, we checked all that out. Nothing came up. It was so long ago, why would that be a factor now?" Cho asked. Rigsby had just walked back into the kitchen and was having trouble following the conversation.

"What is all the excitement about?" Rigsby asked.

"Tell me everything you found out about the SAC PD theft ring. Don't leave anything out." Jane said to Rigsby.

"The one boss uncovered when she was a rookie cop?" Rigsby asked.

"Yes, that one Rigsby. Spit it out." Jane stated.

"I don't know how…" Rigsby started before being cut off by an increasing agitated Jane.

"Rigs! Now! I want to know everything you found out about this theft ring. This is the key to finding Lisbon." Jane said forcefully, with a low growl in his voice.

Rigsby looked at Cho and then at Jane. Van Pelt had just walked in the kitchen and heard the last part of the exchange between Jane and Rigsby. She knew enough about Jane's tone than to ask any questions. She would figure out what was going on.

"When I was looking into Lisbon's time at SAC PD, you know to locate any possible suspects from cases she was involved in, I found out she had uncovered the theft ring that involved two officers, partners. SAC PD had been trying for years to find the leaders of the theft ring and had no luck. Lisbon figured it out in a couple of months." Rigsby explained.

"Where are the two former officers now?" Jane asked.

"Both were in prison, but one died in prison about a year ago. The other one is still in prison and has become some kind of prison minister, considered a model prisoner." Rigsby explained. "

"How did SAC PD react to this? I mean, they spent years and a rookie officer did it in a few months." Jane said, calculating all the possible ways this could be related to Teresa's disappearance.

"Actually, they were happy about it. After everything went down, the boss was promoted quickly, several times. We always wondered about her fast rise in the ranks. She never talked about it. I mean, this was a great thing she did, but she never talked about it." Van Pelt said.

"Teresa wouldn't do that." Jane said, knowing Teresa would've liked that information to remain hidden. "Now Rigsby, you did a search on the families of the two officers and nothing jumped out at you?"

"Nothing. All family members checked out. Michael Shaw, the one who died about a year ago, was married at the time of his arrest, no children. They were separated at the time and after he was arrested and sent to prison, she divorced him and got remarried a couple of years later. She and her current husband own a bed and breakfast in Vermont and have been there ten years. He had one brother, who lives in the Virgin Islands. He hasn't been in the states in over ten years. His father passed away when the both boys were in high school and the mother passed away a few years ago. Darren Price, the prison minister, was single when he was arrested, no children. His parents both passed away a few years ago. He had a sister and a brother. The sister lives in Florida with her husband and three children, no red flags of any kind. The brother is a pilot in the Air Force. He's been stationed in Germany for the last two years. No red flags there either." Rigsby explained.

Jane tapped his index finger against his lips. He was confident this was still the key to finding Lisbon.

"Were Shaw and Price always partners or did one or both have previous partners?" Jane asked.

"They'd been partners since they'd finished their rookie training. About five years." Rigsby answered.

"Did anyone check into their friends?" Jane asked.

"No. After Rigsby's search turned up no red flags, and it had been so long since they'd been caught, convicted and sent to jail, it didn't seem likely there'd be a tie to Lisbon's disappearance in any way." Cho said. "After all this time, it would take a lot of digging to find any friends."

"The link is here somewhere. I'm confident of that. I think we need to look for friends. Maybe call the ex-wife, the sister, the brother." Jane said.

"You're really sure about this Jane? This is a long shot and takes us away from other leads." Cho said.

"What leads? We don't have any other leads. I'm telling you Cho, the link is here. I don't know how, but I know it is." Jane said.

"Okay, we'll look into friends of the two guys. I've worked with you too long to discount when you have a feeling about something. It usually leads us to the evidence we need. I really hope that's the case this time." Cho stated.

"Thanks." Jane said.

"Rigsby. Pay Darren Price a visit in prison. See if he'll cooperate and give you a list of friends. See if you can contact Darren Price's sister and brother. Find out if they can give you the names of any friends they may remember. I'll contact Michael Shaw's ex-wife, see if she can remember any friends. I'll also see if I can get information on the brother in the Caribbean. Van Pelt, see if you can get a copy of the prison visitor logs for both men. See if we can get that information as far back as when they first went to prison." Cho ordered.

"Sure Cho." Van Pelt stated.

"I'm on it." said Rigsby.

Jane sighed a breath of relief knowing like some progress was being made. He could feel this would lead them to where ever Teresa was. It would also lead to the person that had taken her.

xXxXxXx

Teresa watched Patrick's picture fade from the computer screen as the last of the battery life ran out. She closed the computer. Closing the top made her feel like she'd lost him. She knew it was symbolic but it felt that way just the same.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been in the warehouse. She could only guess, based on the increased light coming through the small window at times, that she had been there maybe 4 days. It could be more or it could be less. She felt like she'd been there a lifetime.

Suddenly she could hear the faint sound of music. Where was it coming from? Was it the man who came to torment her occasionally or was it somebody else that happened by the warehouse? If it was a stranger, would he hear her if she screamed?

Teresa listened for another minute. She could still hear the faint sound of music.

"HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? HEY! WHO'S THERE?" she screamed. She listened for any response, but heard nothing. Her heart was pounding, hoping someone other than the man who brought there was outside.

"HEY? CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?" she screamed again. Still no answer, but still the faint sound of music could be heard.

Teresa sat on the bed listening to the sound of the music. There person must be standing still because the music wasn't getting louder as it would if they were getting closer or softer is they were moving away. If she could just barely hear the music, then the person probably couldn't hear her because of the music.

"Please come closer." she prayed aloud.

Teresa started to get angry. She would bet any amount of money the man who'd brought her here had set the music up to make her think someone was outside. It was his new form of psychological torture. She assumed he was outside laughing when he heard her screaming for some imaginary person out there to come save her. Well, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of screaming again.

xXxXxXx

Cho's cell rang, it was Dan. "Dan. Hey. Got anything for me?" Cho asked.

"I do. We may have a problem. SAC PD lab results are back and the blood on the clothing belongs to Teresa. There was a small amount of semen found on the panties; the DNA belongs to Patrick." Dan explained.

"Oh man. If they were living together and sleeping together that can explain the findings. Jane did say they had sex the morning she was abducted." Cho reasoned.

"Yes, that could explain it. It may just be hard to prove when the stain was left; the morning or night of the abduction. Judge Lansing signed off on the order to have the clothing sent to the lab I chose for our independent analysis. I spoke to my contact there and they are putting a rush job on it for me and will start as soon as the clothes arrive. Their analysis may take a few days after they receive them." Dan explained.

"That sounds really good. However, Dan, I detect a hint of hesitation in your voice. What's up?" Cho asked with a little trepidation.

"I talked to Ardiles. He is still thinking about possibly adding a rape charge since Teresa's blood was found on the clothing and now with the semen stain. I told him there was no way he was going to be able to prove rape. I may have accused him of trying to defame Patrick. He wasn't too happy about the accusation. However, I was able to get him to agree to hold off until our independent analysis results came in."

"Good for you. Ardiles isn't a bad guy. He and Jane haven't always had the best of relationships. Jane's embarrassed him a time or two. Also, Ardiles had a thing for Lisbon at one time, but he realized she only had eyes for Jane so he may still be smarting from that." Cho explained.

"Yeah, he's not a bad guy but with the history between the three of them I can see his loyalties would definitely be with Teresa. I probably didn't help him along with the defamation accusation, but I think I can talk to him. We'll see what comes out with our independent analysis. Have you found anything else?" Dan asked.

"Jane is convinced that the key is Lisbon's take down of two dirty cops when she was a rookie. I don't see it since it happened over twelve years ago. I mean, if someone wanted revenge or payback, why wait so long. But, we are following up though. Jane is sure there's something there. He's usually right about these things. We'll let you know what we find." Cho said.

"I'll take any leads we can get. There is a hearing late next week dealing with scheduling of the trial. I'd love to have something before then."

"Thanks Dan. I'll call you as soon as we have anything." Cho said and the men ended their call.

xXxXxXx

Cho walked into Lisbon's office and found Jane asleep on the couch. He was glad Jane was finally getting a little sleep. He just wished he could get some better sleep. He and Jane had been staying at CBI twenty-four hours a day. Sleeping on the couches was not the most comfortable, but it was for the best. The reasoning was, Jane was never out of sight of at least two people, sometimes more. That way, Jane couldn't be accused of anything that might arise after he left jail.

Cho and Jane had run by his house to pick up extra clothes and then had run to the mall to buy Jane a few items of clothing and toiletries since everything he owned was at Lisbon's and all those things were missing. They were able to shower and change in the CBI gym and many of the employees on their floor would bring them lunch and dinner. They had gone out a few times, but Jane found it hard.

He was just about to walk out and let Jane sleep when he heard Jane call his name. "Cho. Did you find anything?"

"No. I called Shaw's ex-wife but there was no answer. I'll keep trying back. I'm running down leads on the brother to get a telephone and/or address for him. Dan just called." Cho said, hesitating. He knew he would have to tell Jane what Dan had called about."

"Doesn't sound like an altogether pleasant call, given your tone." Jane said.

"Dan said the lab results from the clothes came back showing the clothes, as well as the blood on them, belonged to Lisbon." Cho explained.

"I assumed they would. I'd have been shocked if they didn't. However, I don't think that's what the tone in your voice is about." Jane said.

"The lab also found a semen stain on the panties. It was your DNA." Cho said.

Jane sat quietly. Cho could see the dark shadow starting to cross Jane's face.

"Dan has his independent lab putting a rush job on the clothes when they get them. They may be able to prove the semen stain and your DNA were left the morning of the abduction. You know when you and Lisbon…uh…"

"Had sex. You can say it Cho. I don't think this moment calls for you being uncomfortable about our relationship. At least for the people here, this will prove I did in fact sleep with her, so we were having some kind of relationship. For others, they'll think I raped her."

"I didn't need proof about your relationship. This doesn't prove rape even if the lab can't prove the stain was left the morning of the adduction. He also said he talked to Ardiles." Cho said.

"Ah, the plot thickens." Jane stated with sarcasm.

"Dan accused Ardiles of trying to defame you with the possible rape charge. Ardiles wasn't happy about that."

"Good for Dan, maybe not good for me." Jane said, deflated.

"He did get Ardiles to agree to hold off on adding the charge until the results of our independent analysis of the clothing came back."

"Well, I guess I should be happy about that."

"Jane. No one who knows you here believes any of this. No matter what the evidence looks like, they don't believe it. They all know, we all know, how you feel about Teresa. I know this will out work out and Teresa will be back here with us, with you. You have to hang on to that." Cho said.

"I am holding on to that Cho. It's all I have right now." Jane said with his elbows on his thighs and his head in his hands.


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, 3 chapters in one day. This will not be a norm, just a treat!**

 **Still don't own The Mentalist. Still wish I did!**

Chapter 13

Teresa had finally drifted off to sleep after she could no longer hear the faint sound of the music. At times it had been comforting and at other times infuriating. She would waiver back and forth on believing someone was out there who could help her to her tormenter was adding to her torment.

She woke up to the sound of the door opening. She quickly sat up hoping and praying that whoever the music belonged to had decided to explore the warehouse. But her heart dropped when it was apparent no one had come to help her.

"Agent Lisbon. So good to see you. How are you?" her tormentor said.

"Go to hell." said Teresa.

"Ah, spunky as usual. I thought you might be grateful to see me, seeing as I brought you a surprise."

"Your 'surprises' have been so enjoyable. How could I not be grateful?"

"I see your sarcasm is alive and well as usual. It is getting a bit stale though." he said with an edge in his voice.

Teresa felt a small bit of satisfaction with that dig. She began to smell food. Fresh cooked food. Oh my, her stomach was doing flips. She'd lived on snack food since she'd been in the warehouse.

"Maybe I shouldn't share my surprise with you. I'd brought you a hamburger and fries. But, I guess if you don't appreciate my surprises…"

"Wait. I'm sorry. I do appreciate your surprises." Teresa said. She didn't realize until she smelled the scent of the good just how hungry she was.

"Well, now that's better." he said as he stuck the paper bag through the hole in the cell door.

Teresa grabbed the bag and quickly opened it. She knew she was giving the man ammunition by appearing so eager to eat what he'd brought, but she was hungry. She pulled the hamburger out of the bag and started to unwrap it. She stopped.

"How do I know you haven't laced this with poison or some kind of drug?" she asked.

"I guess you don't. You can either trust me and eat it, or don't. Your choice. I will say, I'm still not ready to kill you. I still need you alive at the moment. My plan is moving along nicely, a little slower than I would have liked, but it's still moving."

Teresa looked at the hamburger. She brought it up to her mouth and took a bite, a small bite. If it was laced with something, maybe a small bite would just make her sick, not kill her or do too much damage. She would wait a few minutes to eat more.

"I brought you some more water as well." he said as he starting sticking new bottles through the cell bars. When he'd put through all the bottles he stood back up.

While he replenished her water, Teresa had started eating the burger. It tasted so good, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that. She ate in silence, opening a water bottle and taking a drink in between bites.

"I believe this is a good time to update you on the case. The analysis on the clothes show they're your clothing and the blood found on them is yours. There was also a semen stain found on them and the DNA belongs to Jane."

Teresa couldn't believe what she was hearing. The evidence was mounting against Patrick. The stain had to have been left that morning they made love and she was abducted that night.

"It was very fortunate for me that you two had sex that morning. It added a lovely bit of evidence to my plan. The results have been turned over to the DA and he is preparing to add the rape charge to the list of charges already pending against your boyfriend. I'm hoping his bail will be revoked and he will be remanded back to jail." the man said starting to gloat.

"He was released on bail?" Teresa asked with some excitement.

"A slight kink in my plan. Agent Cho and Mr. Jacobs were so clever to come up with a scheme to get Jane released on bail. If the new evidence doesn't get his bail revoked, he may have to disappear for a while to make sure his bail is revoked and a warrant is issued. And Agent Cho losing his house would be just an extra added bonus for me."

Teresa's head was spinning. Mr. Jacobs must be Dan Jacobs, he's a big time criminal attorney. Good for Jane, she knew Cho knew Dan Jacobs, he must've called him.

"Wait. What about Cho's house? How would Cho lose his house?" Teresa ask. There was too much information to digest.

"Your Agent Cho had Mr. Jane released into his custody after posting a one-million-dollar bond and putting his house up as extra collateral that Mr. Jane wouldn't run if released." The man explained.

Teresa's head was really spinning now. Cho put up his house for Patrick? She knew how proud Cho was of his house. It was very comforting and meant a lot to her to know Cho really believed Patrick or else he wouldn't have done what he did. She felt a little peace, Patrick was out of jail and Cho had his back.

"Jane won't run. He would never put Cho's house in jeopardy." Teresa said with confidence.

"Well it just needs to appear he ran." the man said.

"How would that happen? I know Cho is watching Jane and Jane would never run or make it look like he ran." Teresa said.

"Well it may not be his choice now, right?" the man asked.

"You plan to abduct him too?" Teresa asked stunned.

"Well not really abduct, detain really. Just long enough to have his bail revoked and Agent Cho to lose his house. Cho's house wasn't part of my plan, but just another layer of satisfaction for me. Cho losing his house would be devastating to you now wouldn't it, Agent Lisbon?" he said gloating.

"GO TO HELL!" Teresa shouted.

"Ah, the answer is yes. I must be going. It really was nice talking to you." the man said, walking towards the door.

"GOOOOO TOOOOO HELLLLLLL." Teresa screamed as she heard the door shut and immediately burst into tears.

XXxXxXx

Cho was worried about Jane. They needed a break of some kind, even a small break would be something positive. Since Dan's call about the lab results on the clothing, Jane had not left Lisbon's office or the couch in there. He didn't even drink the cup of tea Van Pelt had made for him. Cho knew this was a sign Jane was slipping over the edge of that dark, deep hole.

"I haven't stepped over the edge of that dark, deep hole Cho. I told you I wouldn't go there." Jane said from his position on the couch, back turned to the door.

"How do you do that? It makes me think you really are psychic." Cho asked. It never ceased to amaze him how Jane could do that and at the same time say there were no such thing as psychics.

"No such thing as psychics, you just think too loud." Jane said, still with his back turned to Cho.

"What I think is, you need to get up off that couch and drink the tea Van Pelt made you. Then help us go over this list of names we received from Darren Price's family." Cho said.

"I was just sleeping Cho." Jane said.

"No, you're brooding. Those lab results mean nothing. They change nothing, except to bolster your story about having a relationship with Lisbon. Now get up, pick up your tea and get out to the conference table." Cho stated.

Jane sat up, rubbed his eyes and straightened his clothing. "Going all bad ass on me Cho? Bad ass is very cute on Teresa. You, not so much."

"Whatever works." Cho said dead panned, arms crossed over his chest.

"Alright. The tea is cold. I'll make me another cup and I'll come look at the list." Jane said.

xXxXxXx

Osvaldo Ardiles walked into his office and jumped at he put his briefcase on his desk.

"Why the hell is Patrick Jane not back in jail?" Dean asked as soon as Ardiles reached his desk. Dean had been waiting for him to get to the office.

"Good morning to you too, Officer Dean." Ardiles said with a hint of irritation.

"Why haven't you filed the necessary papers to have Jane put back in jail and rape charges added to his list of charges?" Dean asked again.

"For one thing, don't barge into my office first thing in the morning demanding I answer your questions. Next, what papers I file and what charges I add are my decision, not yours. All you do is supply me with evidence and I choose what to do with that evidence." Ardiles said, very irritated now.

"What else do you need to put that scum bag back in jail? You shouldn't have let him get out in the first place."

"Just what is your beef with Patrick Jane?" Ardiles asked, curious about Dean's overzealous manner.

"He kidnapped and killed a cop. Probably raped her too. That isn't motivation for you? That doesn't make you angry?" Dean answered.

"The fact that Agent Lisbon is missing does make me angry. I respect Agent Lisbon and her team at the CBI. I am motivated to find and prosecute whoever did this to her. Right now, the evidence is pointing at Patrick Jane. He and I don't have the best history and if the evidence shows he did this, I will prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law. However, the new evidence on the clothing, indicating there might have been a rape, is too thin to actually file charges at this time. It may be able to be explained away if they were indeed in a relationship. I have more than a dozen witnesses who will testify Patrick Jane and Agent Lisbon were in a relationship. I will not charge someone with rape based on the evidence I have right now." Ardiles explained.

"I thought you were supposed to be some hot shot DA. You're just like all the other ones." Dean spit out.

"You're out of line Dean. I heard you were bucking for a promotion. Don't plan on using this case to do that. I will not rush a case to trial, especially this one, to further your career. If Patrick Jane did this, I want to make sure I have enough solid evidence before proceeding to trial. If you know anything about Patrick Jane, you know the evidence better be rock solid. Even then, it might not be enough. I don't intend to look like a fool taking this to trial or adding addition charges without more solid evidence." Ardiles stated.

"You need more evidence? I'll find you more evidence. Patrick Jane needs to pay for what he's done." Dean stated as he left Ardiles' office.

xXxXxXx

Teresa lay on her bed, her brain processing everything the man had said when he was there. Cho had put his house up to get Patrick released from jail. She knew how much Cho valued his home. He had paid off the mortgage on the house with money he had received when his dad died. The fact that Cho used the house as collateral for Patrick's freedom, meant the world to her. It spoke volumes to how much Cho cared about Jane and how much he cared for her. It also proved that he believed Jane would never do anything to her. It gave her some much needed peace. It also gave her hope that Patrick and Cho were doing everything they could to find her.

She continued to lay there thinking. Suddenly a thought came to her. The language the man used. He talked like someone in the legal field; an attorney or a…a cop. Could he be a cop? He used the words "revoke his bail" and "remand him". That was legal speak. Most people outside law enforcement or the legal field wouldn't use those words.

The fact that the person doing this could be a cop or work in the legal field gave her a different perspective. She'd been thinking it was someone tied to one of their past cases or someone with a vendetta against Jane. Now she believed it was someone in law enforcement. While that should've given her a little peace of mind, instead it made her more apprehensive. People in law enforcement knew just how to manipulate evidence. They knew how things needed to look to be effective. They knew too much about the legal system to be sloppy with evidence. They knew enough about the legal system to make them very dangerous in their ability to frame someone for kidnapping and murder.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks to the guests who have reviewed the story, I wish I could respond personally to everyone. I'm glad everyone is enjoying this story! I've enjoyed all the thoughts and guesses. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **As always, I don't own The Mentalist.**

Chapter 14

The team had been over the list of friends provided by Darren Price's family. No one stood out. Everyone had checked out and most had alibis for the time of Lisbon's disappearance. The one's that didn't have an alibi weren't even in California on the date of her disappearance. They'd hit a brick wall on the Darren Price angle. They needed to get a list for Michael Shaw. Cho hadn't been able to reach Shaw's ex-wife yet and the brother was proving to be just as elusive. While he'd gotten a phone number for Shaw's brother, he'd yet to reach him as well.

Cho picked up the phone to try the number for the brother one more time before he and Jane went out for lunch. He dialed the number and listened to it ring. When it rang for the fifth time, Cho was about to hang up when someone answered.

"Hello." the voice on the other end said, sounding out of breath.

"Hello. Is this David Shaw?" Cho asked.

"Yes. Who is this?" David Shaw asked.

"My name is Agent Kimball Cho with the California Bureau of Investigation. I'm calling about your brother Michael." Cho explained.

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Cho thought David had hung up before he spoke again.

"My brother died about a year ago." David said.

"I'm sorry Mr. Shaw. We have an agent missing. We've been trying to find her and your brother's name came up in our investigation. His name and the name of Darren Price."

Shaw was quiet again for a minute. "I don't see how I can be of any help to you. I live in the Caribbean, as I assume you are aware. I haven't been in the states for well over ten years. I know Darren was his partner, but I really don't know much about him.

"Mr. Shaw. We believe someone tied to your brother and/or Darren Price may be involved. We don't believe it was you, but it might be one of his friends. Did you know any of his friends?" Cho asked.

"Agent Cho. I hadn't spoken to my brother for about two years before he was arrested. He and I never saw eye to eye about the care of our mother. Shortly before he was arrested, I moved my mother here to live with me. She passed away a few years ago, after my brother was in prison. She may have spoken to my brother after he was arrested, but we never talked about it. If she did, that was her business." David Shaw explained.

"So you really don't have any idea who he may have been friends with?" Cho asked, realizing David Shaw was going to be another dead end.

"No sir. I don't. Have you spoken to Rachel, Michael's ex-wife? I know she lives in Vermont somewhere. She would send my mother birthday cards and Christmas cards, but I haven't personally talked to her since my mother moved here with me. She was a good person, too good for my brother."

"I've tried to contact her, but I haven't been able to reached her yet. It took me a while to reach you too. But I'll keep trying." Cho said.

"I have a charter business, so I'm gone a lot. Cell service is sketchy at sea and it's usually really late when I get back home. Sorry I couldn't help you. By the way, what's the name of the agent that's missing? I'll say a prayer for him." Shaw asked.

"It's a her. Her name is Teresa Lisbon." Cho said.

"Lisbon? Isn't that the name of the rookie cop that discovered my brother's theft ring." David asked.

"Yes it is. Teresa Lisbon is an agent with the CBI now. In fact, she's my boss. She leads the Serious Crimes Unit." Cho explained.

"Good for her. I mean her promotion. Sorry she's missing. Glad she got recognition for taking down my brother and his partner. I hope you find her Agent Cho. I bear no ill will against Agent Lisbon." Shaw stated.

"Thanks Mr. Shaw. Sorry I had to disturb you." Cho said.

"No problem. I wish I could've helped you in some way. Maybe Rachel will be of some help." Shaw said.

"Goodbye. Thanks again." said Cho.

"Bye." Shaw said before hanging up.

"Well that was another dead end." Cho said when he got off the phone.

"Michael Shaw's brother? I take it they weren't close based on your end of the conversation." Jane said

"No, not close at all. They had a falling out about their mother before Michael was even arrested. He moved her to the Caribbean with him and never spoke to his brother again. Never came here for the trial." Cho explained.

"What about the mother? Did she have any contact with her son?" Jane asked.

"She died a few years ago. David didn't know if she had any contact with Michael before she died. He didn't really care." Cho answered.

"Well, you're right. That's a dead end. So all we have left is the ex-wife?" said Jane.

"Our last hope is the ex-wife. If she doesn't know anything, we have nothing else to go on with the Michael Shaw/Darren Price angle. I know you believe we're on the right trial, but we're getting nowhere. Jane, I know when Lisbon's involved, your thought processes get skewed. Are you still sure this is where we need to be looking?" Cho asked, feeling like their last hope was slipping through their fingers.

"I'll admit, where Teresa is concerned my thought processes do get 'skewed' as you call it. I can't read her like everyone else, which is both frustrating and very exciting." Jane said.

"Jane!" Cho said, not in the mood for Jane's attempt to tease him.

"Okay, fine. I just needed a little reprieve from my thoughts. Teasing you helps me with that. Well, if Rigsby's not here that is.

"I get it." Cho said. "Now about the Shaw/Price angle."

"It took everything I had within me to get myself to picture Teresa as just another victim and not the person I love more than anything in this world. You can only imagine how hard that was for me." Jane said.

"Yes I can."

"When I could finally get my mind to focus on her as a victim, I was convinced the Michael Shaw/Darren Price angle was the key. I still believe that angle is the key. If the ex-wife is the only one left to talk to, she's it. She has what we need." Jane said.

Cho picked up his phone and dialed the ex-wife's number again. Still no answer. He was getting frustrated. If Jane was right and this was the key to finding Lisbon, he needed someone to answer the phone.

Cho slammed the phone down on the desk. "Dammit! It's the twenty-first century. How can someone who runs a successful business not answer their phone or at least have an answering machine that does?"

"It's okay Cho. You finally reached the brother, you'll reach the ex-wife." Jane said.

"How the hell can you set there looking and acting so calm and cool when I know you aren't?" Cho asked irritated.

Jane took a deep breath. "You're right Cho, I'm not calm and cool. What you see is a man walking a fine line, very fine line, between sanity and insanity. The only thing keeping me on the sane side is the fact that I can still feel Teresa here." Jane said pointing at his heart. "When that feeling stops, well I hope you're not around."

Cho stared at Jane. He could see he wasn't joking. Jane was staring back at him, both men wanting the same thing, to find someone that meant so much to them. One who loved her like a sister and the other who loved her with his life.

"This is the other thing that keeps me going." Jane said as he pulled a black, felt box from his jacket and opened to Cho. "When I find her, I'm asking her to marry me."

"Wow man, that is a rock." Cho said looking at what must be a one carat diamond ring set in a platinum setting with smaller diamonds around the large stone.

Jane closed the lid of the jewelry box and stuck it back in the jacket pocket over his heart. "I plan to give this to her and convince her to say yes. I WILL be giving her this ring."

Cho looked at Jane and felt for a moment Jane's eyes were saying one way or the other, alive or dead. He knew he'd never say it aloud. "You will give her that ring and she will say yes. I really believe you won't have to convince her." Cho said with conviction.

"I'm believing that. Can we just order lunch or call Van Pelt to bring something with her when she and Rigsby come back from lunch? I don't really feel like going out." Jane asked.

"Sure. I'll call her. While we wait on them I think I'll call the local police in the Vermont town where the bed and breakfast is and see if they know anything about Shaw's ex-wife, Rachel." Cho said as he dialed Grace's number.

xXxXxXx

"Mr. Ardiles?"

"Yes, Jamie."

"Dan Jacobs is here to see you." Osvaldo Ardiles' assistant said.

"Send him in please." Ardiles said.

Dan Jacobs walked into Ardiles' office as the DA stood to shake hands.

"Dan, good to see you."

"Osvaldo, good to see you too."

Dan sat down in the chair across from Ardiles desk.

"Nice job blindsiding me at Jane's bail hearing." Ardiles said.

"Wasn't trying to blindside you. Cho pitched the idea to me late Sunday night and we really weren't sure Judge Lansing would agree to it. Actually, I was surprised he agreed." Dan explained.

"It would've been nice to have a heads up. What can I do for you today?" Ardiles asked.

"I want to thank you for agreeing to hold off adding any more charges until our independent analysis of the clothes come back. Also, I'm filing a motion to have the hand print and the fingerprints found in and on the car sent for an independent evaluation too." Dan answered.

"What do you hope to find. The police lab is pretty thorough." Ardiles said.

"Oh, I don't have any reason to believe the blood doesn't belong to Teresa Lisbon and I'm confident the hand print and fingerprints belong to Patrick Jane. We just believe they were both planted. I want the lab I chose to determine if it's possible they were planted and not made naturally during the crime." Dan explained.

"Really? You believe someone planted the evidence to frame Patrick Jane?" Ardiles asked, a little surprised.

"Yes I do." Dan said.

"How do you explain the bloody necklace in his hand and the clothes that were found containing Teresa Lisbon's blood and Patrick Jane's DNA? You think those were all planted too?" asked Ardiles.

"If the prints were staged, then that calls into question all the evidence. The place where the clothes were found had been thoroughly searched and nothing was found. Yet, shortly thereafter, they're found out in the open where they obviously would have been seen during the search?" Dan answered.

When Ardiles didn't say anything, Dan continued. "There are just too many questions and coincidences in this case. You don't agree I assume."

"You are familiar with Patrick Jane and his past? He's a master manipulator and con man. I wouldn't put anything past him. I believe he could've done all this to try and throw investigators off." Ardiles said, all too aware of Patrick Jane's antics.

"Well Osvaldo. He would've had to be Houdini too in order to plant the clothes in the field where they were found. He's been constantly watched since the moment he was released from jail. He doesn't even go to the bathroom or take a shower without someone sitting on the other side of the door while he does. He has spent every day and night at the CBI, there are no windows in the bathroom or shower so he couldn't have slipped out and back in. Agent Cho set it up like that just for a situation like the finding of the clothes. He couldn't have done it. So how did they get there?"

"He could've had someone else do it." Ardiles countered.

"His calls have been monitored, he's had no internet access, he's had no visitors other than myself and Officer Dean. Again, all set up by Agent Cho just for this reason." Dan said.

Dan could see Ardiles mulling over what he'd just told him. He knew Ardiles was a fair DA and once he could see the validity of Dan's reasoning, Dan believed Ardiles would agree things weren't as cut and dry as he once thought.

"IF, and I'm only saying IF at the moment, Jane couldn't have physically put the clothes in the field or orchestrated them being placed in the field, then I'd agree there may be some suspicion about the clothes." Ardiles said. "However, I'm not sure I buy the fact Jane agreed to being watched that closely 24/7."

"Jane's willing to do whatever's necessary to find Teresa. He wasn't thrilled about Cho's 'big brother' idea, but he agreed. He understands Cho has a lot to lose here and he's not willing to jeopardize Cho's house. Once the clothes were found, he understood Cho's decision. I assure you, Jane had nothing to do with the clothes." Dan said.

Ardiles believed Dan. He knew Jane was a master manipulator, but something rang true in Dan's explanation. He knew Cho would've devised some plan to protect his house by making sure he had control of Jane.

"I'll hold off on anything further until I get your report from the independent labs. I won't oppose your motion for the hand print and fingerprint evidence to be sent to an independent lab. While I still don't trust Patrick Jane as far as I can throw him, I believe Cho had a plan to control him and I believe Jane wouldn't jeopardize Cho's house." Ardiles said.

"Thanks. I'll let you know as soon as I have those reports." Dan said. He shook hands with Ardiles and left his office.

Ardiles sat for a while thinking. Why was Patrick Jane always a pain in the ass?

"Jaime?" Ardiles buzzed his assistant.

"Yes Mr. Ardiles?"

"Get me Officer Dean at SAC PD."


	15. Chapter 15

**As always, thanks for the kind reviews. I'm almost done with the story, editing and changing. I think I will finish up at 21 or 22 chapters. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 15

Cho tracked down the number of the police department in the small Vermont town of Fairlee where Rachel Briggs, Michael Shaw's ex-wife, ran a bed and breakfast. Since he'd had no luck in reaching Rachel Briggs by phone, he decided to see if the police could help him contact her.

"Chief Walters."

"Chief Walters. My name is Agent Kimball Cho with the California Bureau of Investigation. I'm calling, hoping you can help me locate one of your residents." Cho stated.

"Agent Cho, California Bureau of Investigation? Is that like the Federal Bureau of Investigation but in California? Chief Walters asked.

"Yes sir. Somewhat. The CBI is called in to work cases that involve multiple jurisdictions, high profile cases, and cases where local jurisdictions need help solving crimes they have trouble with. Other cases as they come along also." Cho explained.

"Well then Agent Cho, what can I possibly do for you?"

"I've been trying to reach one of your residents, Rachel Briggs. She and her husband run Briggs Cove Bed and Breakfast there in Fairlee." Cho answered.

"Yeah, I know William and Rachel Briggs. Good people. Why you looking for Rachel?" Chief Walters asked.

"I believe she might be of some help to us in the case of a missing agent. I really need to talk to her as soon as possible. I've called the number I had for the bed and breakfast, but no one answers." Cho answered.

"A missing agent?" Walters asked.

Cho was getting frustrated with the slowness of the conversation. "Yes sir. We have a missing agent. We need to find her and we believe Mrs. Briggs may have some crucial information. Could you possibly contact her for us and have her give us a call?"

"Well normally I could do that, but not today." Walters said.

"Time is of the essence Chief Walters." Cho said, becoming more frustrated. "You know as a police officer, the longer it takes to find someone the less likely you are to find them alive. The missing agent is my boss and my good friend. I really need to speak to Rachel Briggs as soon as I can." Cho explained.

"I'm sorry about your boss and friend Agent Cho. I meant I could normally run out to the Briggs place quickly but William and Rachel are out of town, actually out of the country." Chief Walters said.

Cho's heart dropped. "Where did they go?"

"Africa. They went on an African safari. Rachel's always entering all kinds of contest, never wins a thing. Well this past Saturday morning, Rachel got a call saying she'd won a trip for two to Africa for a safari. It was the craziest thing I ever heard. They said they'd had trouble contacting Rachel and the trip started Sunday, the next day. William and Rachel decided it was a once in a lifetime trip and threw caution to the wind and just went. They'll be gone about a month."

"Is there anyone who can reach them?" Cho asked, starting to calculate the timing of the trip and the unlikely chance of a coincidence.

"Maybe Louise. She works part time for the Briggs at the bed and breakfast. They may've left contact information with her." Chief Walters answered.

"Could you possibly give me Louise's phone number and her last name." Cho asked.

"Sure, anything I can do to help."

xXxXxXx

"Dean."

"Dean. This is Ardiles. I need to talk to you about the Teresa Lisbon/Patrick Jane case."

"Okay. What can I do for you?" Dean said.

"I need all the information about the clothing that was found. Who found them? I need to talk to that person. Where exactly were they found? Do you have a map of the area showing where exactly they were located?" Ardiles explained.

"Can I ask why you need the information? You have my report outlining everything." Dean said.

"Yes, I do have your report. I need to work on the evidence for trial. I told you before, when Patrick Jane is involved you have to make sure you have all your bases covered." Ardiles stated.

"I'll make sure you have everything you need. That man is guilty and I will do anything you need to make sure he is convicted." Dean stated.

"The evidence we have is pretty solid. What I need is to make sure that evidence stands up in court, no places for them to poke holes. If they find the smallest hole, it will be a crater by the end of the trial." Ardiles said.

"That won't happen. I'll make sure of that." Dean said emphatically.

"Thanks. Get me the name of the person who found the clothes and a map of the area if you have it."

Ardiles disconnected the call. Something wasn't sitting well with him. He'd heard Dean was looking for a promotion. He went back to his conversation with Dan Jacobs. His concern was that Dean saw this case as his ticket to the promotion he was looking for.

xXxXxXx

"Hello."

"Ms. Kelly? Louise Kelly?"

"Yes, I'm Louise Kelly. Can I help you?

"Ms. Kelly, my name is Agent Kimball Cho with the California Bureau of Investigation. Chief Walters gave me your number and said you may be able to help me contact Rachel Briggs."

"Oh my goodness. Did something happen to Rachel or William?" Louise asked.

"No mam. I'm sorry to worry you. I'm trying to contact Rachel because I believe she might be able to help us locate a missing agent. She may have information that could lead us to the person who took the agent." Cho explained.

"Rachel and William left this last Sunday morning on a trip to Africa. She didn't know if her cell phone would work where they were going. She gave me the number of the travel agency that delivered the tickets. They said they might be able to contact Rachel and William if there was an emergency. They're supposed to be gone a month. They were so excited about the trip, once in a lifetime she said." Louise Kelly explained.

"They didn't have any one coming to stay at the bed and breakfast? It seems like they would have customers during the time they're gone." Cho said.

"Yes sir. There were three, but two canceled at the last minute. I'll take care of the one. We just aren't taking any new reservations until they're back, that's why no one answered the phone. This time of year is kind of slow anyway, so it worked out good." Louise said.

"If you could give me the number of the travel agency that would be great. Maybe I can get in contact with Rachel through them." Cho said, hopeful for the first time in days.

"Sure Agent Cho. Here it is. It's Transcontinental Travel. They are out of New York City. Their number is 555-342-7864. I hope this helps you find your missing agent."

"I do too Ms. Kelly. Thank you so much for your help." Cho said.

As soon as Cho got off the phone with Louise Kelly he walked into the bull pen to get the team working on tracking down Rachel Briggs through Transcontinental Travel.

"Van Pelt. I need you to find out what you can about Transcontinental Travel. I believe they're located in New York City. I want to know who owns the agency, if they're a legitimate agency and anything else you can find."

"How is this agency related to Teresa's disappearance?" Jane asked, sitting up on his couch. He could see from the look on Cho's face he was excited about this new information.

Van Pelt and Rigsby moved over to the conference table, close to Jane's couch, so they could listen to Cho's explanation about the travel agency.

"Since I wasn't able to contact Rachel Briggs, I called the chief of police in the small town where she lives. The chief told me Rachel Briggs and her husband, William, are on an African safari." Cho started explaining.

"An African safari?" Rigsby asked.

"Yes. They got a call Saturday morning informing them Rachel had won a contest and the prize was a month long African safari. They told her they'd had trouble contacting her and because of the delay in reaching them, the trip was set to start the next day, Sunday. Rachel and her husband decided it was a trip of a lifetime and decided to go, even with the short notice." Cho continued his explanation.

"Lisbon is taken Friday night. Saturday morning Rachel Briggs gets a call out of the blue telling her she won a trip and that trip started Sunday, the next day?" Rigsby said. "Does anyone else find that suspicious timing?"

"I believe we all do." Van Pelt said.

"Not me." Jane said.

"What? Why?" Van Pelt asked, not believing what Jane had said.

"I don't find it suspicious at all. I told you Rachel Briggs is the key to finding Lisbon. This proves she is that key. Either she created this story about the trip or someone else put this trip together to get her out of the country and away from any questioning." Jane explained.

"How would anyone know we'd link her to the disappearance? The only reason we had the name was because Rigsby thought it was an interesting story about Lisbon. We wouldn't have even looked into Rachel Briggs if Jane hadn't gotten out of jail and had a feeling the theft ring was the key to the case. I mean, that is a real stretch." stated Van Pelt.

"I think whoever did this was covering all their bases." Rigsby said.

"I think the person who did this knows how Jane works, may have even studied Jane. He had to believe Jane might discover the link to the theft ring and Michael Shaw. So he sent Rachel Briggs on a trip. I assume he thought a month would be long enough for the police and the DA to build a strong case against Jane and he wouldn't be able to get out of jail." Cho said.

"I believe you're right." Jane said. "Now we need to find out what Rachel Briggs knows and find Lisbon."

xXxXxXx

Teresa was going crazy. She'd never been stuck in one place for so long. Not knowing how long she'd been in the warehouse made it worse. The computer battery had died and there was no reading material of any kind around. She'd cataloged everything in the warehouse in her mind too many times. She needed some kind of distraction.

The thought of laying down and sleeping made her cringe. How the hell did Patrick sleep all the time and how did he find couches so comfortable?

She heard the familiar sound of the door opening. Great, just what she needed. A visit from the hooded man.

"Good afternoon Agent Lisbon. Glad to see you looking so well." the man said.

Teresa didn't say a word. She started to scream at him to bring her something to read but decided he might find her agitation a positive effect of his scheme to make her suffer. She decided to act bored and unfazed by her circumstance.

"Next time you come, could you bring me a book, magazine, newspaper? It's kind of boring in here."

She could tell the man was trying to decide how he felt about what she asked. She knew her earlier confrontations with him played into his plan and now her calm demeanor was not adding to his plan. Hopefully he wouldn't be too suspicious.

"I might be able to do that for you. Why the change in attitude? I miss your spunk. Have you finally accepted your fate?" he asked.

It took every ounce of self-control she had not to unleash her temper on the man. However, she knew that would play right into his hands and his plan to torture her.

"Nah, just bored. Although I'm really glad I've finally caught up on my sleep. Working long hours can really take a toll. But forced down time like this, I've been able to catch up. Thank you."

"Well don't get too comfortable." he said becoming irritated.

"Why not?" Teresa asked.

"You may not be here much longer. Your boyfriend's about to head back to jail and the DA is pushing for a quick trial date. Finding your clothing with your blood and his DNA seems to have sealed his fate."

Teresa started to say something but stopped. Something about the man's demeanor made her believe he was lying. He'd always been cocky and confident when talking about Jane. He didn't seem so cocky now, more frustrated. Maybe Cho and Jane had found a way to discount some of the evidence. She was sure they hadn't discounted all the evidence or the man would be here to get rid of her.

"Give me the computer." the man said.

Teresa reached under the metal bed and pulled the computer out. She held it to her chest for a moment.

"Stick it through the bars and push it to me." he said. When she didn't make a move to stick the computer through the bars, he screamed, "Now!"

She continued to hold the computer. The man stepped a little closer, she tried her best to determine if there was something she could find to identify him later. There was nothing uncommon about his voice, his stance or his walk. He was an average height and weight. Nothing stood out.

"I said give me the computer. If you don't you'll be very sorry."

"You know you won't get away with this." Teresa said, unable to hold back. She pushed the computer through the bars.

"You think you're so smart Agent Lisbon. Acting like being here doesn't affect you. I just need to ratchet up the heat on your boyfriend. I know your boyfriend is the key to changing your attitude. I've read up on both of you and asked around. He appears to be the protective one, but from what I've found out, you're just as protective of him. Making Patrick Jane hurt is the best way to hurt you. You took what was rightfully mine and what I deserved. Now I'll take what's yours. You'll be heartbroken before I take care of you for good." the hooded man said.

"What did I take from you?" Teresa asked, scared now.

The man was quiet for a minute. She didn't think he would answer her question. She really wanted to know why he took her and what he really wanted. She couldn't keep her temper under control any longer.

"What the hell did I take from you? Just tell me. I think I deserve to know." Teresa said angrily.

"You DESERVE to know? Really? You don't deserve anything. I DESERVED the promotion you took from me. I was next in line for the promotion and you just swooped in and took it from me." the man said.

"What promotion are you talking about?" Teresa asked.

"You were just a rookie. No rookie deserved to be promoted over officers that worked longer and harder to get there. You thought you were so smart finding the link to that theft ring. Other people worked on that case too but you took all the credit."

"Are you talking about SAC PD? That was more than ten years ago." Teresa asked, stunned. "So you ARE a cop?"

"Again, you think you're so smart. That promotion was mine, mine. You messed up everything. Everything was going smoothly and you just had to butt in. Michael and Darren were good officers."

"Michael Shaw and Darren Price were thieves. Thieves and cops; the worst. They stole from people they were sworn to protect. If you think they were good officers, then you definitely didn't deserve that promotion." Teresa spit out.

"We…they didn't…" the man started before Teresa interrupted him. Things were starting to fall into place.

"You were part of the theft ring weren't you? We always thought there were more than just Michael and Darren involved, but we could never find evidence of anyone else. We also knew there was money and property still out there we never found. You thought if you got promoted you could keep the theft ring from being discovered. Why didn't Michael and Darren give you up?" Teresa asked.

"Darren didn't know who I was. Michael and I were partners, not Darren. Michael got Darren involved on one of our jobs and then blackmailed him with it to continue helping. Darren didn't like what he was doing, but he didn't have a choice. When you busted Michael and Darren, Michael told Darren I would kill his family if he didn't cooperate. After what Darren had seen, he believed Michael." the man explained.

"So you two basically framed an innocent man. You blackmailed him to keep him helping you. Then you threatened him to keep him quiet." Teresa stated.

"Yeah, it looks like you sent an innocent man to prison. Well not completely innocent, just not a willing participant."

"When Michael was killed in prison, why didn't Darren say anything?" Teresa asked.

"I made sure to remind him, I would kill his family if he talked. Besides, he didn't know who I was, so who was going to believe him? He was a convicted thief. Criminals always say they didn't do what they're accused of." the man explained, gloating.

"I can't believe you've gotten away with it all these years. I can't believe Michael didn't get sick of prison and give you up." Teresa said.

"I was working to get him out. He knew that. I had a plan but you messed that up at the last minute. Just like before. He got killed before I could set the plan in motion again and finally get him out. Now you'll pay for what you did and for Michael's death."

"You're a THIEF, Michael was a THIEF." Teresa said.

"Michael was my friend. We had a good thing going. You'll pay for what you did. The plan was initially to take your boyfriend, you know, take something from you. However, it was easier to frame him for your disappearance. Given his history, it was easier to sell. Either way, you're lose something and I get my satisfaction. Have a great day." the man said, slamming the door as he left.

Teresa sat in stunned silence. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard.


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm so happy everyone is still enjoying this story. Things are starting to fall into place and make sense!**

Chapter 16

"Cho. Here's the information on Transcontinental Travel. They seem like a legitimate company. The owner's name is Beth Causey. She's been in business approximately six years." Van Pelt said.

"Give me the number and I'll call her." Cho said. "Can you run a check on calls to the bed and breakfast? I know we don't have a court order, but if we can figure out who called Rachel Briggs about the contest, it will give us another lead."

"Are you going to call Dean and let know we might have a lead?" Rigsby asked.

"NO!" Jane and Cho said at the same time. Both men looked at each other.

"I'm glad we're on the same page." Jane said to Cho.

"I don't know if we're on the same page or not. When we find out who did this and have them in custody, I want to surprise him by shoving it down his throat and telling him he's not getting his promotion." Cho said.

"Yeah. We're on the same page." Jane said with a small smile.

xXxXxXx

"Transcontinental Travel, this is Lindsey."

"Beth Causey please." Cho said.

"May I tell her who's calling?"

"I'm Agent Kimball Cho with the California Bureau of Investigation."

"Uh…okay…yes sir, one minute." Lindsey nervously said.

Cho waited for Beth Causey to pick up. He was starting to understand Jane's feeling that they were on the right path. The timing of Rachel Briggs' trip was too coincidental. He just couldn't figure out if she was involved or if she held the key to the abductor's identity and he had to make her scarce for a while. Why not just kill her? Then the link to the abductor would die with her. Either she was involved or the person responsible for Lisbon's disappearance wasn't a killer, which was great for the prospect of finding Lisbon alive.

"This is Beth Causey. Agent Cho?"

"Yes mam. I'm with the CBI, California Bureau of Investigation. I'm trying to locate a client of yours. She may have crucial information about a missing agent."

"My goodness. I will do what I can. What's the client's name?"

"Rachel Briggs. I was told she and her husband William left this past Sunday for an African Safari. Mrs. Briggs gave the caretaker of her bed and breakfast your name and number and said you could reach them in case of an emergency. Is that true?

"Yes. Rachel and William Briggs left for Africa on Sunday. We were contacted by a contest company to make the arrangements for the trip. I should be able to reach the lodge where they're staying. There was a planned outing for them that would keep them away from the lodge for several days. I'm not sure how long it will take me to contact them. I may have to leave a message at the lodge."

"Can you give me the name of the lodge? I want to have that for my records." Cho asked.

"They are staying at the Singita Sasakwa Lodge located in the Grumeti Reserves in northern Tanzania." Beth Causey answered.

"Okay. The contest company that contacted you, have you worked with them before?" Cho asked.

"No. This was the first time. They said they had a couple in Vermont who won a contest. They asked if we could take care of all the arrangements, send out the travel package to the clients, pretty much take care of everything." she answered.

"Did that seem odd to you." Cho asked.

"Oh, heavens no. We make arrangements like that all the time. We have some very big clients that give us their information of when, where and who and we do the rest. They just send a payment for services and everything is set." Beth said.

"Is that what happened here?"

"Yes. The only thing different here I would say is that they needed the trip to take place within a few days. I got a call a week ago asking how quickly I could arrange the trip. The man said the previous arrangements that were made had to be cancelled and he was having to redo them. I told him the earliest I could have everything in place Friday. I could send the travel packets out and the contest winners could leave Sunday. He said that was great and he sent the cashier's check overnight."

"Can you give me the name of the company that contacted you and the contact person. Also, do you remember where the check came from and what bank it was issued by?" Cho asked.

"Yes. Let me find that file. Here it is. The company was the Lisbon Group. The con…" Beth Causey started to explain.

"Excuse me. The Lisbon Group?" Cho asked, shocked at what he'd just heard.

"Yes. The Lisbon Group."

"Okay. Sorry. Please continue." Cho said, still trying to comprehend what she was saying.

"The contact person was Patrick Lisbon. The check was sent from Sacramento, California and the bank it was issued by was Wells Fargo." Beth Causey stated.

"Do you have a number for Patrick Lisbon or the Lisbon Group?" Cho asked.

"No. He always said he couldn't easily be reached so he would call me." she answered.

"Would you mind giving us a copy of your phone records for the days he called you so we can possibly track him down?" Cho asked.

"Sure. That's fine. If you're in California maybe you could just find this Lisbon Group and talk to Patrick Lisbon in person." she said.

"I have a pretty good idea the Lisbon Group and Patrick Lisbon don't exist." Cho told her.

"Oh. Am I in some kind of trouble for making these travel arrangements?" Beth asked cautiously.

"No mam. You had no way of knowing this might be tied to a crime. If you could call your contacts in Africa and have Rachel Briggs call me as soon as possible I would really appreciate it. I think Mrs. Briggs holds the answers I need." Cho answered.

"Is Mrs. Briggs involved in this crime?" she asked again.

"I'm not sure at this point. I don't think so; I think she just may know who is without realizing it. Please don't give out the reason I want her to call me, just give her my name and number." Cho said.

"Okay Agent Cho. I hope this helps you find your missing agent." Beth Causey said.

"I do too, Ms. Causey. Thank you so much for your help."

xXxXxXx

"Dan. It's Cho."

"Hey Cho. What's up?" Dan asked.

"Can you come by the CBI today sometime?" Cho asked.

"Sure. You sound either very ominous or very elated. With you I can't quiet tell." Dan said.

"It's very elated. We found some big leads today that I want to go over with you. It may take an hour or so."

"Great. I'll be there in about thirty minutes." Dan said.

"See you then." Cho said and hung up.

Cho could almost feel himself shaking. Now he needed to let Jane and the rest of the team know what he found. He stood up from his desk and stretched. He walked towards Lisbon's office where Jane was sleeping on the couch and Van Pelt was working on the computer.

xXxXxXx

"Hey." Cho said quietly to Grace when he walked in the door of Lisbon's office.

"Hey." Grace said.

"Neither of you need to whisper. I'm awake." Jane said facing the back of the couch with his back to the door. Jane sat up, rubbed his eyes and looked at Cho.

"You found something? I can see your excitement. What is it?" Jane asked.

"I called Dan and told him to come over. He'll be here shortly. Where's Rigsby? I want to tell everyone at the same time. There's a lot and it's convoluted." Cho asked.

"Just tell me it can lead us to Teresa." Jane said.

"It can and I believe it will." Cho said.

"Rigsby went to pick up some food. He should be back any minute." Grace said.

"Good. Van Pelt, before Dan gets here, can you run a check on the Lisbon Group and someone by the name of Patrick Lisbon? Let me know if either one exists." Cho said.

Both Jane and Van Pelt were looking at Cho. Neither one could speak and neither could make sense of what Cho had just said.

"Hey guys. Food's here." Rigsby yelled from the kitchen. When he didn't see any of the team coming to eat, he walked to Lisbon's office.

When he walked in the office, he saw his three team mates staring at each other. He couldn't figure out why they were all so quiet. Then he thought something happened to Lisbon.

"Did something happen? Is Lisbon…dead?" Rigsby asked.

Jane jumped up from the couch and was face to face with Rigsby in a shot. "Don't ever ask or say that again!"

Rigsby backed up. "Sorry Jane. You all were so quiet, I just assumed something bad happened."

"Van Pelt, make yourself a plate of food, then start on the search for those names before Dan gets here. I'm assuming you'll find nothing. I don't believe either exists."

"I'm on it."

"Jane, Rigsby, let's grab some food. Dan will be here any minute and we can discuss everything I found and where it may lead us." Cho said.

The three guys made their plates and walked back into Lisbon's office. As soon as they were seated Dan walked in the door. He closed the door.

"So I believe we have some interesting information." Dan said.

"Van Pelt. Do we have anything on those names yet?" Cho asked.

"I'm still working on it. It may take a little time. Do you want me to refine my search to Sacramento right now and then let it run the bigger search after that?" she asked.

"Yes. That sounds like a good start." Cho said. "Okay. Here's what I found."

Cho explained to everyone everything he'd found out from Louise Kelly in Vermont to Beth Causey in New York City. He explained the timing of the trip for the Briggs. He explained Beth Causey's call from Patrick Lisbon and the Lisbon Group. He explained how the cashier's check was sent from Sacramento and issued by Wells Fargo in Sacramento. Then he watched as everyone sat in stunned silence.

"Wow. I don't know what to say. It's all overwhelming and crazy. I mean this is obviously tied to Patrick's case and Teresa's disappearance." Dan said.

"We just have to figure out how. We seem to have like a hundred puzzle pieces and nowhere to start." Rigsby said.

"We can start with the names Beth Causey gave us. There's no way the Lisbon Group and Patrick Lisbon are a real company and contact person. We need to check with Wells Fargo and see if they will give us the information about the cashier's check without a court order." Cho said.

"Why do you not want a court order? That seems to be the fastest, least troublesome way." Dan asked.

"I don't want Dean finding out our leads. I don't want him to know, at least right now." Cho said.

"I don't understand." Dan said.

"Because when we figure all this out, find Lisbon and clear Jane, I want to shove it down his throat. I want to see the look on his face when he realizes he's not getting that promotion. He's not going to do anything to help us find another suspect. He believes Jane is guilty and there's nothing we can do to change his mind." Cho said.

"How could he look at all this and not think something doesn't look fishy?" Rigsby asked.

"You've seen him in here. There's no talking to that guy. All he wants to believe is the physical evidence and the blood evidence." Cho said.

Everyone was quiet for a few minutes. Cho realized Jane hadn't said a word. He looked over at the couch where Jane sat and he had his index finger on his lips. This meant Jane was deep in thought and likely had a plan.

"What's up Jane? You've haven't said a word about all this information." Cho said.

"Hum. Just trying to put everything in a timeline." Jane stood up and walked over to the blank white board Teresa kept in her office. He took the cap off the erasable marker and drew a line horizontally across the length of the board.

"Okay. Here is the beginning of this whole thing. Michael Shaw and Darren Price going to jail for running a theft ring." Jane drew a vertical line at the end of the long horizontal line.

"Grace do we have any information about the theft ring. Was there any money or items confiscated when Shaw and Price were taken down?" Jane asked.

"I can look into that. I don't think we have that information." Grace said.

"What're you thinking Jane?" Cho asked.

"This whole set up took money to pull off. The African trip wasn't cheap. Plus, think about the other costs; keeping Lisbon somewhere, if there was a trip planned before and new plans had to be made, paying an accomplice to help take Lisbon and knock me out. Where did all that money come from? I believe it was money from the theft ring." Jane explained.

"Okay. I could see that. What else?" Cho asked.

"Then, twelve years go by, nothing. Why? Then Michael Shaw is killed in prison and suddenly within a year someone wants revenge on Lisbon for taking down the theft ring." Jane said.

"So you're convinced this is all about Lisbon? Getting revenge on her for the theft ring?" Rigsby asked.

"Yes, I am. I'm not saying it has nothing to do with me. Maybe the notoriety we have received over the last year led to making her an easy target." Jane said.

"Okay. So why did his first attempt to send the Briggs on an extended vacation change? It makes you think he intended to take Lisbon before, but the plan failed so he had to cancel the trip. I think if someone had tried to take her, she would have said something. Do you remember anything out of place Jane?" Cho said.

"When was the last trip planned? Did you get that information?" Jane asked.

"Beth Causey said Patrick Lisbon indicated the first trip that was cancelled was to take place some time at the end of July. He didn't give her a specific date." Cho answered.

"End of July, huh? Lisbon and I flew to Chicago at the last minute at the end of July. Remember, her brother Jimmy was in that bad automobile accident and was in the hospital. She got the call Thursday afternoon and we flew out that night. That could have been when he planned to take her the first time and because we left town abruptly, he had to start over." Jane explained.

"Right! I remember that. The dates seem to work out. That has to be it. Okay, so he waited a couple of months and chose last Friday night as the new date. It fits, given when he called Beth Causey and the dates of the trip. She told him she could have everything ready by Friday, last Friday, the day Lisbon was taken. Then the Briggs would leave Sunday. The dates all fit." Cho said.

"This is good. We just need a name." Jane said.


	17. Chapter 17

**Two chapters in one day! I plan to have the story finished and posted before the end of the week. I have a lot of things coming up and don't want to leave you hanging. Enjoy!**

Chapter 17

Dan's phone rang as everyone continued to go over the information Cho had found. He stood up and indicated to everyone he was walking outside to take his call.

"Dan Jacobs."

"Mr. Jacobs, Dean here. Some new evidence has come to light. As such, I need to ask your client some questions based on the new evidence that has been found."

"What new evidence is that?" Dan asked, concerned about the gloating in Dean's voice.

"First of all, we have two witnesses that have come forward. They saw a couple, fitting the description of Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon, fighting on the side of the road several miles from where Agent Lisbon's vehicle was found. Second, we sent a team out to search the area where the witnesses say they saw the couple fighting. There was a charred body found in the woods not far off the road in the area they were searching. The coroner said it is the body of a woman, fitting the height, weight and age range of Agent Lisbon. Also, it appears the body has been there since the night Agent Lisbon disappeared." Dean explained.

Dan listened to Dean's explanation of the new evidence. He had a bad feeling about this. He hoped the body didn't belong to Teresa.

"When do you want to talk to Jane?" Dan asked.

"Now." Dean said.

"I'm at the CBI. We can be at your office in an hour or so. I need to talk to my client about this new evidence. He won't take it well. I want him to have some time to recover." Dan said.

"Or have time to come up with a good story." Dean said.

"He doesn't need a good story. He didn't do this." Dan said.

"Well we see things a little differently. With the evidence we already have and the new evidence, your client will be heading back to jail soon. Once the DA has this new evidence, he will not have an option but to have Jane's bail revoked." Dean stated with too much satisfaction for Dan's liking.

"I'll have my client in your office as soon as he's able." Dan said and disconnected the call.

He took a deep breath. Telling Patrick and the rest of the team about the new evidence would be hard. This new evidence would overshadow the leads they'd found today.

xXxXxXx

The minute Dan walked back in Lisbon's office Cho knew Dan's phone call had not been good. He could tell by the way Dan looked at Jane, things were about to get bad. Jane was going over his timeline on the whiteboard and knew Dan had come back in. When no one said anything, he turned around and looked at Dan. Cho saw the blood drain from Jane's face.

"They found her." Jane said with a catch in his throat.

"Patrick sit down." Dan said.

"Tell me. They found her didn't they?" Jane said. Cho could see he was on the brink of despair.

"They have found a body. No ID has been made yet." Dan started explaining.

Cho walked over to Jane and helped him sit down on the couch. He could feel Jane trembling. "Jane. We will stay positive. I refuse to believe it's her and you need to also. Do you hear me?"

Jane just shook his head. Cho wasn't convinced Jane actually agreed with him. Cho whispered in Jane's ear. "You will give her that ring and she will say yes. Believe that. Hold on to that."

Jane looked up at Cho with tears in his eyes and shook his head.

"Tell us everything you found out Dan." Cho said.

"Two witnesses came forward to say they saw a couple fighting on the side of the road several miles from where Teresa's vehicle and Patrick were found. Their description of the couple matches the description of Patrick and Teresa. Dean said a team was sent out to search the area for clues and that's where the um…body was found." Dan started explaining.

"Why no ID then? They have Lisbon's picture." Van Pelt asked.

Dan dreaded answering that question. He knew Patrick was already fragile and answering Van Pelt's question might be too much for him to handle. He knew he needed to get all the information he'd received out in the open, as unpleasant as it was.

"The body was burned." Dan started and heard everyone in the room gasp. "It fits the height, weight and approximate age of Teresa."

Jane jumped up and ran out of the office with Cho following close behind. He ran into the men's restroom and just made it to the toilet before throwing up. He continued to throw up until there was nothing left on his stomach.

"I'm sorry Cho. Maybe I should've told you first and then let you tell him." Dan said.

"It's okay. The reaction would've been the same either way." Cho replied.

"Dean wants to see him. He has some questions." Dan stated.

"No. Not now."

"Cho, you know with this new evidence, I can't stop him. If we don't go in, they'll issue a warrant." Dan explained.

"Do you think he can answer any questions right now? Look at him, he's barely coherent. When Dean starts going at him…I…I don't know what will happen." Cho said, furious.

Rigsby opened the door and Grace stood holding it open. "Is he okay?" Grace asked. "Never mind. I can see he's not."

Jane was sitting with his back against the stall wall. "It's not her. It's not her."

Everyone was looking at Jane with understanding eyes. They all knew he was hurting with the simple knowledge that Lisbon's body may have been found.

Jane stood up, walked over the sink and washed his face. He cupped his hand to sip some water to clean his mouth out. When he was done, he turned around.

"It's not her. She's still alive. I can still feel her. We have to continue digging into the theft ring angle. The answer is there." Jane said to everyone's amazement.

"Dean wants to question you regarding the new evidence. Are you up to doing that?" Cho asked with some hesitation.

"Fine. Let's go. I will answer whatever questions he has. That body is not Teresa's so let him ask away." Jane answered.

Cho wasn't sure how to take Jane's demeanor. Was he really doing as well as he appeared or was he doing a great job of covering his feelings? One could never tell with Jane.

"Are you sure Patrick?" Dan asked.

"Absolutely." Jane said.

"Okay. Let's go." Dan said.

"I'm going with you. I plan to watch for the observation room. If Dean gets out of line Dan, you need to stop the questioning." Cho said.

"I'll be fine Cho." Jane said.

Jane may believe what he was saying, but Cho wasn't so sure. Given Dean's drive to have Jane prosecuted, Cho wasn't sure Jane would be leaving SAC PD once they got there.

xXxXxXx

Dan, Cho and Jane arrived at SAC PD and asked for Officer Dean. It didn't take a minute for Dean to appear before them.

"I'm surprised you actually showed up." Dean said.

"And why wouldn't he?" Cho asked.

"Given the new evidence, I assumed he would run. It just keeps piling up. Once the body is identified as Agent Lisbon's, it's over. Mr. Jane will be back in jail and prosecuted for her murder." a gloating Dean said.

"Well, that's not going to happen. The body that was found is not Teresa." Jane said.

"Oh, you're sure about that are you?" Dean said, bristling from Jane's statement.

"Without a doubt. Now I believe you have some questions for me. Let's get started. Let's get to the interrogation room." Jane said with confidence.

Cho could see Dean was furious. "This is my interrogation. I will run things as I want them to run. Is that clear Mr. Jane?"

"Crystal." Jane said, adding to Dean's fury.

Cho thought this might not go as bad as he first believed. It might be Dean losing it and not Jane! He was proud of Jane for being able to channel his fear over the finding of a body to staying positive and standing up to Dean.

"This way. Agent Cho, you can wait in the lobby." Dean said.

"No, I'll be watching from the observation room." Cho said.

"As I just told Mr. Jane, this is my interrogation and I will conduct it as I please." Dean said.

"And as I said before, I have permission to be a part of this investigation. So, I will watch from the observation room. Or, do I need to call your supervisor and the governor?" Cho asked.

Dean's face was beet red and he was angry. Cho, however, knew Dean would relent. He had to. He didn't want Cho calling his supervisor or the governor.

"Fine. But you will not interfere. If you do, I will be the one calling the governor." Dean all but spit at Cho.

The four men walked towards the interrogation room. Once they arrived, Cho stepped into the observation room and the other three men walked into the interrogation room and took their places at the table.

"Mr. Jane. As you're aware, a body was found today that matches the description of Teresa Lisbon. The body was too badly burned to make a preliminary ID. The fingers were burned beyond the point of being able to get fingerprints. And even more curious is, the teeth were all missing, therefore making an ID based on dental records also impossible. That makes me suspect someone with a background in law enforcement, someone who knows how to manipulate evidence." Dean said trying to make Jane as uncomfortable as possible.

"It probably is someone in law enforcement. But, it's not me and that body is not Teresa's. Some unfortunate person has been made an unwitting victim in this game." Jane said.

"We also have two witnesses who place you in the area where the body was found. We'll be putting you in a line up to see if the witnesses can identify you as the man they saw." Dean said.

"Okay. That's fine." Jane said.

"Tell me what you and Agent Lisbon were arguing about on the side of the road." Dean said.

"There was no argument on any road." Jane said.

"You were seen arguing with Agent Lisbon on the side of a street on the night of her disappearance. How do you explain that?" Dean asked.

"There's nothing to explain. There was no argument, so no one could have seen anything." Jane said.

"We have two witnesses." Dean countered.

"They supposedly saw a man and woman fighting, but they haven't identified me. If they do, they're mistaken or lying because they never saw me or Teresa arguing." Jane said.

"I believe you're lying. You're digging yourself a bigger hole by continuing to lie and drag this out. Why don't you just admit what you did and plead guilty? Maybe the DA will go easier on you." Dean said.

"There's nothing to admit or plead guilty to." Jane said.

"If there's nothing else, I believe we will go now." Dan said.

"I didn't say this interrogation was over." Dean said.

"Are there any more questions?" Dan asked.

"Yes. I have more questions. Why were you arguing with Agent Lisbon?" Dean asked.

Dan held his hand up for Jane not to answer. "You've already asked that and he's answered. Are there any new questions?"

Dean was angry, that was evident. Dan knew he didn't have any more questions.

"Let's just get to the lineup if that's ready." Dan said.

"It's ready. Let's do it." Dean said.

They walked out of the interrogation room and met Cho in the hallway. Cho and Dan looked at each other as they all followed Dean to where Jane would participate in the lineup. Jane was led into the room where five other men were waiting. They all looked a little alike, blondish brown curly hair, about the same height and weight.

Cho, Dan, and Dean entered the room where one of the witnesses were waiting. The witness was a middle aged man who didn't seem the least bit nervous. Most witnesses were nervous while waiting to pick out a suspect from a lineup. This made Cho curious about who this guy was.

"Alright Mr. Ramsey, like I explained, there will be six men on the other side of the glass. You need to take your time, look over the men and if you see the person you saw arguing with the woman on the side of the road last Friday night, just say the number above the man's head. Are you ready?" Dean explained.

"Yes. I'm ready." the man said.

Dean instructed the officer on the other side of the glass to bring the men in. As the men filed in, Cho and Dan noticed that the other men in the lineup did look similar to Jane. At least Dean hadn't tried to skew the lineup with men who didn't match the description of Jane.

"Okay Mr. Ramsey. Take your time. When you're ready just give me the number of the person you recognize as the man you saw." Dean said.

Cho saw Jane looking directly at the two-way mirror. As he watched him, he recognized that look. He looked at the witness and noticed the man starting to get restless and fidgety. He knew what was happening.

"Do you see the man you saw arguing with the woman?" Dean asked.

"Uh…I…uh…I'm not sure." Ramsey answered.

"Take your time and pick out the person you saw." Dean said, a little hostile in Cho's opinion.

"Don't push him. If he doesn't see the man he can say that." Dan said.

"Mr. Ramsey. Do you see the man? The man that was arguing with the woman?" Dean asked again.

"Uh…I'm…uh…uh…I'm not sure I see him." Ramsey said, obviously very uncomfortable.

"What! You don't think you see him? Are you sure? Look again." Dean stated.

"Don't push him. If he doesn't see him, he doesn't see him. That's his answer." Dan said, irritated with Dean.

"I…I don't think I see him. Can I go now?" Ramsey asked.

"You're sure?" Dean asked.

"I'm sure. I need to leave now." Ramsey said, opening the door and almost running out of the room.

"Well, that didn't work out as you planned, huh, Dean?" Cho asked.

"He was lying. He saw him. Jane was trying to intimidate the witness." Dean spewed.

"What? Are you serious?" Dan asked. "Patrick is on the other side of a one-way mirror. How could he have possibly intimidated the witness? You're grasping Dean."

"Is the second witness here? Let's get him in here and get this over with." Cho asked.

"He's not here. I'll have to bring him in later. Mr. Ramsey may be ready to try again." Dean answered.

"Ramsey couldn't pick him out. He's had his shot. Get the other witness in here and we'll be back. Otherwise, we're leaving. You have nothing new." Cho said as he and Dan walked to the door.

"The other witness will pick out Jane as the person he saw arguing with Agent Lisbon on the side of that road. I will have Jane back behind bars soon. Very soon." Dean said as Dan and Cho walked out the door.

"We'll see about that." Cho said, slightly turning his head back as Jane joined him and Dan in the hallway.

"Yes we will Agent Cho. Yes, we will." Dean said to the back of Cho as he walked out behind Dan Jacobs and Patrick Jane.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"How did you do that?" Cho asked once the three men were outside.

"Do what?" Jane asked.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. I saw that look on your face and you were staring at the one-way mirror. How did you know exactly where to look?" Cho stated.

"Dan I believe Cho here is having some kind of hallucination. Did you see me doing anything?" Jane asked.

Dan looked at Cho. He wasn't sure what was going on between Cho and Patrick. Cho obviously detected Patrick doing something in the lineup room. They'd worked together long enough for Cho to know what he was doing. He, himself, hadn't noticed Patrick doing anything.

"Uh. I didn't see you do anything but I believe Cho would know that better than me." Dan said.

"Look. The guy was obviously lying about seeing you. When we first entered the room he was way too calm. Witnesses are never that calm. However, when you and the other men were led into the room and he looked at you, he started fidgeting and he got really nervous. So whatever you did, it worked." Cho said.

"I don't know who he was but he couldn't have seen Teresa and me arguing. We weren't arguing at all, especially not on the side of the road." Jane said.

"Whoever sent him there didn't do a good job of prepping him or he wasn't paid enough. When he saw you, he changed his mind. Dean said there's another witness. Hopefully that lineup goes as well as this one." Cho said.

"Me too." Dan said.

"It will. We have truth on our side." Jane said.

"And a mentalist who can hypnotize someone on the other side of a one-way mirror." Cho said.

"I didn't hypnotize him. I promised Lisbon I wouldn't do that anymore." Jane said with the hint of a smile.

"Whatever." Cho said.

xXxXxXx

When Cho, Jane and Dan arrived back at the CBI, Van Pelt indicated she had some news.

"What do you have Van Pelt? Cho asked.

"Well there's no Patrick Lisbon with the Lisbon Group. There is a Lisbon Group down in San Diego, but it's a legitimate company. The CEO is Luis Santiago and the company is registered in Portugal, Spain. There is no Patrick Lisbon working for them. There are several Patrick Lisbons in California, but they all check out." Grace explained.

"We expected that. Did you find out any information from Wells Fargo Bank, Rigsby?"

"All they would tell me was that the cashier's check was paid for in cash. They said any other information would require a warrant." Rigsby stated.

"We'll hold off on that for right now. I'm fairly confident that the person who purchased the cashier's check showed an ID in the name of Patrick Lisbon and it was probably fake. I would rather not alert Dean to the fact we're looking for a fake Patrick Lisbon. He would probably find a way to twist it around. If we need to get a warrant a little later, we will." Cho said.

"I'm going to head back to my office. I want you to send me copies of everything you have to put in Patrick's file. I want all this stuff together for court, whichever way we have to use it. Let me know when you hear from Rachel Briggs." Dan said.

"Thanks Dan. Let us know when Dean is ready for the second lineup." Cho said.

Dan left and Van Pelt and Rigsby wanted to know about Jane's meeting with Dean. Cho explained everything that happened, including the witness and his change of heart in identifying Jane.

"So you hypnotized him?" Grace asked.

"No, I did not hypnotize him. The guard instructed us to look straight ahead at the one-way mirror. I did as instructed." Jane explained.

"I saw that look on your face. That look you get when you're trying to fluster someone, get them off balance." Cho said.

"I was just doing as instructed. The witness must have thought he saw something." Jane said.

"Yeah. Whatever." Cho said.

Jane smiled as he turned around and swung his legs onto the couch and laid back, closing his eyes.

xXxXxXx

Teresa laid on her metal bed continuing to go over what the man had told her. She never asked to be promoted after she discovered the theft ring. She knew other people were in line for promotions, but nothing she said stopped the SAC PD from promoting her. She'd never liked all the publicity that came from that either. Sure, it helped boost her career, but she wanted people to know that she worked for everything she got.

As she lay on the bed thinking, she suddenly heard the faint sound of music again. She wished she knew who it was playing the music. Should she scream again or should she just let it play? Was this her opportunity to get out of there and get back to Patrick?

She contemplated the risks of yelling out. If it was the man who had kidnapped her, he would probably just laugh that he was getting to her. If it was someone else, they might be able to free her. She decided to risk it.

"HELLO! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?" she yelled, then stopped to listen. When the music continued to play and no one appeared she tried again.

"HEY? IS ANYONE OUT THERE? HELP!" Again, she stopped to listen for any indication someone heard her.

The music had stopped. She couldn't hear it or anything else.

"HELP! HEY? IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, HELP! PLEASE!" she listened again.

Then, she could hear the sound of the door opening. She listened for the sound of footsteps. She didn't hear anyone and she didn't hear the door close.

"Hello." a voice said.

Teresa was scared for a minute. It was not the man's voice, it sounded like a young female voice. Teresa knew she had to take a chance.

"Over here. Walk towards the sound of my voice. I promise I won't hurt you. Someone kidnapped me and I'm chained to a bed that is attached to the floor. I know it's dark, but I promise I will not hurt you." Teresa pleaded. She listened for the person to start walking towards her. There was just silence.

"Please. What can I do to assure you I won't hurt you? My name is Teresa. I'm a police officer. I know you probably think I'm making that up, but I promise I'm not."

"You really promise not to hurt me?" a faint voice asked.

"I really promise. I know you're scared. I'm sorry you can't see me. I can't see you either. If it would make you feel better, maybe we could talk for a minute and you can see if you feel more comfortable." Teresa stated.

"Okay. If you're a cop, where do you work?" the girl asked.

"I'm an agent with the California Bureau of Investigation. The CBI."

"Is that like the FBI?"

"Yes. But we just work in California." Teresa answered.

"Oh. Okay." the girl said.

"Can you tell me where we are? Teresa asked.

"Rancho Cordova. This warehouse used to be an office furniture place. They would repair furniture and resale it." the girl answered.

"What are you doing here?" Teresa asked.

"I just walk around here. My dad used to work here. He died a couple of years ago and I don't know, I just feel close to him here. He used to bring me with him when I was little." the girl explained.

"I'm sorry about your dad. My mom died when I was young and my dad died several years later. What's your name and how old are you? I mean, if you feel comfortable telling me." Teresa asked.

"I'm Marisa. I'm fifteen."

"Nice to meet you Marisa. I told you my name is Teresa. Do you feel comfortable now to come closer?"

"Okay." Marisa said.

Teresa could hear her slowly walking towards the cell. She then heard Marisa stop.

"You're in a prison cell it looks like. Who put you in there?" Marisa asked.

"I don't know. A man kidnapped me. If you hear that door open or hear anything, turn around and run to the wall behind you. There's a stack of boxes, you can hide behind them. Okay?" Teresa explained.

"O..o..kay. Do you think he will come back tonight?" Marisa asked with a shaky voice.

"I don't know. I never know when he's going to show up." Teresa said.

"How can I help you?" Marisa asked.

Teresa knew there was no way for Marisa to get her out of the cell. She also didn't want to take the chance of the man coming back and finding Marisa there. She decided the best thing to do was ask Marisa to call Cho.

"Can you call a friend of mine and tell him where to find me?" Teresa asked.

"Sure. I can do that. I don't live far from here. I can go home and call him." Marisa said.

"Thank you so much Marisa." Teresa said. "His name is Kimball Cho and he works for the CBI too. His number is 555-3243. Tell him where I am."

"Okay. Do you want me to come back and bring you anything?" Marisa asked.

"No. I don't want to risk the man who took me finding you. My friend Agent Cho will bring the police with him. It shouldn't take him long to get here once you call him." Teresa answered.

"Okay. I'll go now." Marisa said.

"Please be careful. And Marisa, thank you again." Teresa said.

"I will and your welcome."

Teresa could hear Marisa walking to the door. She heard the sound of the door opening and closing. Teresa took a deep breath and let it out. Patrick and Cho would be here soon. She couldn't wait to see Patrick. Even though the nightmare wouldn't be over and the man who took her would still be out there, she would be free.

Several minutes later, she heard the door opening and closing. Was it Marisa coming back? Or was it the man he took her. She hoped he would still be there when Cho and Patrick arrived so that could catch him.

"So Agent Lisbon. Who is your friend here?"

Teresa saw a flashlight beam shining on the face of what appeared to be a young girl. She could see the look of fear in the girl's eyes. It was Marisa.

"Please don't hurt her." Teresa begged.

"Well now, that's up to you." the man said.

Teresa couldn't imagine what the man wanted. What could she possibly do that would keep him from hurting Marisa?

"What do you want me to do?" Teresa asked with trepidation.

"I don't know yet. When I do, you'll do what I say or I will hurt your new friend here."

"Fine." Teresa said.

"You're in luck, you'll have some company until I decide what to do with our trespasser. If either of you try anything, I'll kill her." the man stated.

"We won't do anything. I promise." Teresa said.

The man walked closer to the cell and opened the door. He shoved Marisa inside and locked the cell door back.

"You shouldn't have come here. This is none of your business. Now if Agent Lisbon here cooperates, I might let you go later when I'm ready to finish my business with the agent. I'm leaving now. If anyone else shows up, I WILL kill them. If you try anything else like this Agent Lisbon, I WILL kill Patrick Jane. Understand?" he asked.

"Yes." Teresa answered.

Teresa heard the door open and close. She knew there was no way he was going to ever let Marisa go. She needed some way to get not only herself out of the situation, but now she had an innocent girl to protect as well.

xXxXxXx

Jane was restless. He felt like they were overlooking something critical but he couldn't figure out what it was. He felt like he was losing his edge. He needed some time alone to think, to put the pieces together, but he knew Cho would never let that happen. Jane sat up on the couch and looked over at Cho working on paperwork.

"I'm going to the attic." Jane said.

"No." Cho said, never looking up.

"No?" Jane asked.

"Yeah. I said no." Cho answered, continuing to look at his paperwork.

"I need some time alone. I need to put the pieces together. We're missing something crucial and I can't figure it out. I need some place I can think and I always did my best thinking in the attic." Jane replied.

"You told Lisbon you wouldn't go up there again." Cho never looked.

"I did. But that was before someone took her. I need to think and I can't do it here." Jane said, a little irritated.

"Well you won't be able to do it up there either." Cho said.

"Why do you think that?" Jane asked.

"Lisbon had the door welded shut." Cho said.

"She what?" Jane asked stunned.

"She had the door welded shut. She said with Red John dead you had no reason to go back up there. You know she hated it when you were up there, it was hard on her."

"I know that. When did she do it?" Jane asked.

"Remember when you had that stomach virus a few months ago? She had it done then." Cho answered.

Jane remembered. They'd interviewed a kid in a case and he'd had a virus. Jane woke up sick the next morning. It was second day they'd been living together. Teresa must have decided that since they had opened the door to their relationship, another door had to close. She decided to close that symbolic Red John door permanently.

"She didn't tell me." Jane said.

"I think she decided if you ever said anything about it, she'd know you'd been up there. You know she did it for you, both of you." Cho said.

"I know. She probably did the right thing." Jane conceded.

"Yeah, she did. Glad you're not mad." Cho stated.

"How could I be? Doing that shows me just how much she loves me. I needed that right now." Jane said.

"She does love you. We'll find her." Cho said.

"But, will it be in time?" Jane said, turning around to lay back down on the couch.


	19. Chapter 19

**As always, thank you for your reviews. They give a boost to keep writing. I should be posting the last two chapters, 20 & 21 later tonight or tomorrow. I'm correcting and editing those.**

Chapter 19

"Marisa, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Teresa asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry." Marisa said.

"No, it's not your fault. What happened?" Teresa said.

"I got outside. I almost made it to the street. There's a fence around the warehouse and when I got to it I turned around and looked back. When I turned back around to leave, he was standing there. He asked me if I'd been inside. When I said no, he said he didn't believe me." Marisa explained.

"So there was no car. He walked?" Teresa asked.

"I don't know. He could've parked on the street."

"Was he wearing the hood over his head when he caught you?"

"Yes. I never saw his face. Why is he doing this to you? And who is Patrick Jane?" Marisa asked.

Teresa couldn't decide if she wanted to tell Marisa the whole story. But since she'd basically made Marisa a part of this whole crazy thing, the girl should know.

"Patrick is my boyfriend. It's a very convoluted story. That man has some twisted idea that I took something from him and he wants to make me suffer for it." Teresa started explaining.

"How is he doing that? By keeping you here?"

"That's part of it. He kidnapped me while I was with my boyfriend. He brought me here and he is setting Patrick up by making it look like he killed me. He comes here occasionally to tell me what's going on with the case, wanting me to suffer worrying about Patrick." Teresa continued to explain, but not telling Marisa the man planned to kill her when his plan was finished.

"So your boyfriend's in jail for killing you?" Marisa asked.

"I'm not sure. I think he was in jail, but I believe he's out now. I don't think everything is going as the man had planned. He's getting angrier every time he comes here. I'm glad he didn't hurt you. I was afraid he might hurt you to get to me." Teresa answered.

"Do you know him?"

"No. Well, maybe if I saw his face I would know who he was. He was working for the Sacramento Police Department when I was. But there were a lot of officers and I was new, so I'm not sure." Teresa explained.

"So he's a cop?" Marisa asked surprised.

"He says he is and from some of the things he says, I believe he is. I'm really sorry for getting you involved in all this. I wish I hadn't yelled for you, but I was desperate to get out of here." Teresa answered.

"It's okay. My mother has always told me I was going to find myself in trouble one day. I guess this is the day." Marisa said.

xXxXxXx

Cho was again working on paperwork. He didn't know how Lisbon didn't go crazy with all the idiotic forms that had to be filled out on a daily basis. At least he didn't have to deal with any extra paperwork because of Jane. He'd kept his promise not to do anything to jeopardize his house.

Jane was asleep in Lisbon's office. Cho was glad he'd settled down. He was driving Cho crazy because he couldn't figure out what he felt like they were missing. He'd paced Lisbon's office, then the bullpen, then the hallway in front of the elevators and then back to Lisbon's office. Cho had threatened to handcuff him to a chair if he didn't stop. Cho assumed Jane believed him because he'd finally laid down and gone to sleep.

Cho placed the last file in the "To Be Filed" tray when his phone started ringing. He looked at the display but didn't recognize the number. He took a deep breath before answering.

"Cho."

"Agent Cho. This is Rachel Briggs. I got a message saying it was urgent that I contact you."

"Yes, Mrs. Briggs. Thank you so much for calling me back. I believe you may have some information that can help us find one of our missing agents." Cho explained.

"How do you think I can help you?" Rachel Briggs asked.

"The missing agent is Teresa Lisbon." Cho said.

"Oh no. And you think Michael may have had something to do with this don't you?" Rachel asked.

Cho realized Rachel Briggs didn't know her ex-husband was dead.

"Mrs. Briggs. You didn't know Michael died in prison about a year ago?" Cho asked.

"Wow. No, I didn't know. I didn't keep up with him. I used to send his mother cards on the holidays and she would send me some as well. She never mentioned him in any of her cards. She died about two years ago, so I don't have contact with his family anymore. I assume his brother David still lives in the Caribbean." Rachel said.

"He does still live in the Caribbean. I've talked to him also."

"I still don't see how I can help you Agent Cho. If Michael's dead and it's been for a year, how could he be involved in Agent Lisbon's disappearance?"

"We believe someone he knows, maybe a friend, is responsible for her disappearance. He or she may be doing this as revenge or payback. We were hoping you could give us a list of his friends that you might remember." Cho explained.

"I haven't seen or talked to Michael in well over ten years. Why would someone wait all this time to get revenge? That seems a little strange. Have you talked to Darren, his partner who was arrested with him?" Rachel asked.

"We haven't talked to Darren. We talked to his family about any friends they might know. We've held off talking to Darren directly because if by some chance he is involved as well, we don't want the kidnapper to know we're closing in. However, at this time, we don't think Darren is involved. You really are our last option here. If you can't remember any of his friends we may have to take that chance." Cho explained.

"Like I said, I haven't seen or talked to Michael in over ten years. I know you need the information right away, but I'm going to have to think about it. No one comes to mind other than Darren and his brother David." Rachel said.

"If you can get that to me as soon as possible. Do you have a fax machine there or computer access? You can send me the list by whatever means is available." Cho said.

"I have computer access. I'll email you that list." Rachel said.

"Great! Send it to . If you have any problems whatsoever, please give me a call." Cho said.

Cho hung up and hoped it wouldn't take Rachel long to email him that list. If Jane was right, the sooner they had the list, the sooner they may have a way to find Lisbon.

xXxXxXx

"Dan Jacobs."

"Mr. Jacobs, Dean here. I have that other witness ready to do a lineup. Can you have Jane here at 3:00 this afternoon?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. I'll call him now and if there's a problem, I let you know. Otherwise, we'll be there."

"Fine. When this witness identifies Mr. Jane, I will be asking Ardiles to have his bail revoked. Just giving you a heads up."

"We'll deal with that at 3:00. You were confident the other witness was going to pick Patrick out but you were mistaken. I wouldn't get over confident if I were you." Dan said. He was having a really hard time dealing with this egotistical police officer. The more he dealt with him the worse it got.

"Jane interfered with that witness. He did something to intimidate him in some way. He won't do it this time; I promise you that." Dean said.

"There was no interference. The witness just wasn't as strong as you thought. We'll see you this afternoon. Goodbye Dean." Dan said and hung up. He wasn't confident he could maintain his temper if the conversation continued.

Dan dialed Cho's number. "Hey Dan."

"Dean called and the other witness is available for the new line up. He wants Jane there at 3:00. I told him we'd see him then. That guy's an ass." Dan said.

"I agree, he's an ass. Jane and I will meet you at SAC PD at 3:00." Cho said.

"Okay. He also said to tell Jane that 'WHEN' the witness picks him out, he's going to ask Ardiles to have his bail revoked." Dan said with a half laugh, half snort.

"Yeah, when." Cho chuckled back. "This lineup is probably going to turn out just like the other one. Especially with Jane on the other side of the glass!"

"You're probably right. See you at 3:00." Dan said.

"Yeah, 3:00." Cho said and hung up.

"Van Pelt?"

"Yes Cho?"

"Jane and I have to go over to SAC PD for another lineup. Rachel Briggs is supposed to be emailing me a list of Michael Shaw's friends. Watch for that email. As soon as it comes in, I want you to run the names on the list. Also, cross check them against the other names we already have. Call me if something comes up." Cho instructed.

"You got it." Van Pelt said.

XXxXxXx

Cho and Jane arrived at SAC PD shortly before 3:00. Dan met them in the lobby and they walked to the back to meet Dean.

"Dean. We're here." Cho said.

"Good. We'll get started in a minute. And Mr. Jane, this time you will not interfere with the witness." Dean said.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't interfere last time. I was on the other side of a one-way mirror. How could I have interfered with the witness? I couldn't see him." Jane asked.

"I don't know how you did it but you did. That witness was solid in his description." Dean answered.

"I guess he wasn't as solid as you thought. Or, as we contend, he didn't see Jane that night so he couldn't pick him out." Cho said.

"Oh, he saw him. So did the witness that's here today. You will not interfere with him or I will have Ardiles charge you with interfering with a witness." Dean said, staring at Jane.

"I'll do just as instructed. Same as last time. No problem." Jane said.

Dean was turning red. Cho knew Jane was irritating Dean without really saying anything and he loved it. He couldn't wait until this case was over and Lisbon was back. He was looking forward to telling Dean just what he thought of him.

"Let's get this lineup going Dean. I have other clients to see this afternoon." Dan said.

"Turner? Take Mr. Jane here to the lineup room." Dean said to another officer.

Cho, Dan and Dean made their way to the witness room. When they stepped inside, the witness was again, a middle aged man. He too appeared calmer than he should, given the circumstances, just like the first witness.

"Mr. McMillan. There will be six men entering the room on the other side of this mirror. They can't see you, but you can see them. I want you to take your time and pick out the man you saw last Friday night arguing with the woman on the side of the road. Just take your time. If you feel uncomfortable, let me know." Dan explained. Cho rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything.

"Okay. I can do that." McMillan said.

Dean buzzed the officer in the other room. "Send the men in."

Jane and the six other men filed into the room as instructed. They were told to stand up tall and look straight ahead.

Cho watched McMillan as he watched the men walk in. When the men were in line, with their backs against the wall, looking at the mirror, Cho noticed McMillan start to fidget. He looked through the one-way mirror at Jane and he could see the look on Jane's face, same as last time. Cho couldn't help the little smile on his face.

Dean noticed the witness starting to fidget. He immediately buzzed in the room. "Everyone turn to your left."

"Do you see him Mr. McMillan?" Dean asked.

"Uh, maybe." McMillan said.

"Take your time." Dean replied.

McMillan's fidgeting increased. "Can they turn back around?" he said.

Dean looked at Cho and Dan. Cho knew Dean didn't want Jane and the other men to turn back facing the mirror. He knew Dean couldn't figure how Jane was intimidating the witness. If Cho hadn't known Jane for as long as he had and seen him work, he wouldn't know how he was doing it either.

"Everyone face forward again." Dean said into the speaker.

The men turned around and faced the mirror. Again, Cho could see the look on Jane's face and he watched as the witness started shifting from foot to foot. He started fidgeting more and more.

"I…uh…don't know…maybe four or maybe six. I'm not real sure." McMillan said.

Jane was number two.

"Take your time." Dean said.

"He already said number four or number six and he wasn't sure about that." Dan said.

"Give him time. He may just be nervous." Dean said.

"He identified either four or six. He made his identification." Cho said.

"No. He said he wasn't sure. Give him time." Dean said.

"Mr. McMillan, will you please step outside for a moment?" Cho said.

"Wait! You don't tell him what to do. He's my witness, not yours." Dean said.

"Mr. McMillan, please step outside. Not another word Dean." Cho said.

McMillan looked at Dean then at Cho. He was frozen in place for a minute, then turned around and stepped outside.

"You were out of line Agent Cho." Dean said.

"No, you were out of line and have been this whole case." Cho said, stepping up nose to nose with Dean.

"Gentlemen. Both of you take a breath. Dean, your witness made his choice and neither one was my client. We're leaving now. I don't believe you have anything further." Dan said.

Dean was shaking, he was furious. "Let the men go." he said over the intercom.

Dan and Cho walked out of the witness room. They stood outside waiting for Jane to come out. When he was finally released, they quickly walked outside.

"That man is a piece of work. I can't wait to shove this whole thing down his throat." Cho said.

"Oh, he's a piece of work alright. I've never dealt with a police officer so bent on getting someone convicted that he disregards protocol and evidence." Dan said.

"It's because he needs…" Jane started to say before Cho's phone indicated he had a text.

Cho looked at his phone. The text was from Van Pelt. It read, "Get back here NOW! We know who did it."


	20. Chapter 20

**Only one more chapter after this one. I will post that final chapter tomorrow.**

Chapter 20

"I've have been going over all the possibilities in my head and I can't put my finger on who it can be." Cho said as they drove back to the CBI. He had the siren and flashers on trying to get there as soon as possible.

"Maybe it's someone we don't really know, but tied to the case in some way that now makes sense." Dan said.

Jane was quiet. He listened as Cho and Dan continued to discuss the possibilities. He knew they were close, close to finding Teresa. When Cho and Dan were quiet, Jane decided to speak.

"It's Dean." Jane said matter of factly.

"What?" Cho said.

"It's Dean. He did this." Jane said again with little emotion.

"How do you know?" Dan asked.

"I should have figured this out a long time ago. When Teresa is involved, I have trouble seeing things clearly like I do with other cases we work. I just couldn't see the clues here." Jane explained.

Dan and Cho sat quietly waiting for Jane to continue. Cho knew Jane had to get his thoughts together before continuing. He looked at Dan, hoping he wouldn't say anything until Jane was finished.

"It all makes sense now. Dean was part of the theft ring. He and Michael Shaw were the ring leaders. Darren Price was forced to be involved. Dean believed if he was promoted he could keep the theft ring protected. He believed Teresa took his promotion, when she uncovered the ring. He paid for this whole set up with money from the theft ring that was never discovered." Jane explained.

"That seems like a stretch Jane." Cho said.

"No stretch, it's all there. I just didn't see it. He's not interested in a promotion anymore, he's more interested in me going to jail. He needs me to go to jail, convicted of Teresa's murder and disappearance, he takes something from her. Like she took his promotion and his theft ring. He feels like he lost everything. He assumed at some point, he would go to jail. He was afraid someone would figure out his involvement in that theft ring. He was getting extremely paranoid. Paranoia is his downfall." Jane continued to explain.

"So that's it, this all boils down to revenge and paranoia?" Cho asked.

"A lethal combination." Jane answered.

xXxXxXx

"What the hell was that back there?" Dean asked. "I paid you a lot of money to identify Patrick Jane in that line up."

"Uh, uh, I don't want no part of this. Did you see that guy back there? He could see me through that glass, I know it. He was looking right through me. I don't know how he did it and I don't care. I didn't believe Frank when he told me the guy had done the same thing to him. Nope, no way, I want out. You can have your money back. Forget I ever existed."

Dean was more than frustrated, first Frank decided he couldn't go along with the plan to pick Jane out of a line up and now Jimmy. He needed them both to do what he'd paid them for, pick out Jane and testify against him. He couldn't hire two more people; it would look too suspicious. Why couldn't people do what they say they'll do and what you pay them good money to do?

"You and Frank better never call me again when you get in trouble. I've helped you for the last time. And if either of you think about talking, it will be the last time you talk. Understand?" Dean said.

"Fine. I can live with that. Just forget I exist. I think you need to forget about this Jane guy. He's not someone to mess with. When he figures this out, you're toast. He's a psychic you know. I looked him up on the internet." Jimmy said.

"Jane's not a psychic. If he was, he would've figured this out by now. He just pretended to be one to scam people. That's why it's been easy to frame him for this." Dean said.

"It doesn't look like it's been that easy to me." Jimmy said.

xXxXxXx

Jane, Cho and Dan stepped off the elevator and were immediately met by Van Pelt.

"What took you so long? We got the list from Rachel Briggs and you won't believe whose name is on the list." Van Pelt said excitedly.

"Andrew Dean." Jane said.

Van Pelt's face dropped. "How did you guess?"

"No guess, I just finally figured it out." Jane said. "Sorry to spoil your excitement."

"So how is he connected to Michael Shaw? Did Rachel Briggs tell us how?" Cho asked.

"College roommate. They'd been friends for a long time. Dean joined SAC PD first and then Shaw about three years later." Van Pelt explained.

"We need to run all property records for Shaw and Dean. See if there is some place Dean might be keeping Lisbon. If you don't find anything, maybe we can run records for Dean's family." Cho said.

"It's going to be a property his father owned." Jane said, finger on his lips.

Cho looked at Jane. He'd learned from experience not to question Jane's hunches.

"Run Shaw's father. See what properties he owns or owned." Cho said.

"I think you should check out the two witnesses that were supposed to identify Jane. I bet they have some connection to Dean or Shaw or possibly both." Dan said.

"I bet you're right. Jane spooked them, they may be willing to talk." Cho said. "Rigsby, run the names Frank Ramsey and Jimmy McMillan. See if they were arrested by Dean or Shaw. They didn't appear to be total bottom feeders, but they didn't seem to be fine upstanding citizens either." Cho instructed.

"I got it." Rigsby said.

Jane was pacing now. Cho always hated when he started pacing, but this time he understood the reason for it. They were getting close, close to finding Lisbon.

"I'm going to run back to my office. As soon as you have something, call me right away. If Dean is involved in this, we will need Ardiles' help." Dan said.

xXxXxXx

Teresa and Marisa were sitting on the bed. They'd spent a lot of time talking. Teresa was happy to have someone to talk to. Marisa was talking about a boy she liked at school. Teresa was listening halfheartedly, thinking of ways to get out of the situation they were in.

She was afraid for Marisa's safety. If the man came back she wasn't sure what he would do. If he decided to take Marisa, she wouldn't be able to do anything. She had no doubt he would kill her if he took her.

"Teresa? Hey, are you okay." Marisa asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Teresa answered.

"You were mumbling but I couldn't understand what you were saying." Marisa said.

Teresa sat quietly. She looked at Marisa and knew she had to do something. She had a plan that might just work. She needed a minute to think it through. If it worked, she could get Marisa and herself to safety. If it didn't work, she ran the risk of getting Marisa and probably herself killed. She couldn't just sit there and let the man kill them.

"I have a plan. I need you to do exactly what I say. We'll only have one chance to do this. Will you trust me?" Teresa asked.

"Yes. I can trust you. What's your plan?"

xXxXxXx

"Dean's father owned quite a few properties. All seem to be ideal for keeping someone hidden. There are warehouses, factories, apartment buildings; how are we going to go through all these?" Van Pelt asked.

"Let's look at the empty places first. Create a list of the closest to the farthest and indicate if they are empty or occupied." Cho said.

"He's not going to put her anywhere that's occupied. It's going to be one of the empty or abandoned buildings. He's not going to risk anyone seeing him or seeing her. He wanted somewhere that he was free to come and go at will, day or night, without raising suspicion." Jane said.

"It's probably going to be somewhere close too. Somewhere he could come and go quickly." Rigsby added.

"Okay Van Pelt, give us the first few that are close and empty." Cho said.

Cho's phone rang as he was waiting or Van Pelt to give them the list she was compiling.

"Cho." he answered and listened as the caller talked.

"Sir, we're right in the middle of locating Agent Lisbon. We're getting close." Cho said and then listened.

"Yes sir, I understand. I realize…" Cho answered, listening again as his head dropped.

"Yes sir. We'll get started." Cho said and hung up.

"What was that about?" Rigsby asked.

"We've got a new case." Cho answered.

"Wait. We can't start a new case. We're too close to finding Teresa." Jane said.

"We don't have a choice. Our help was requested. The niece of a councilman is missing. He asked that our team be assigned to find her." Cho said.

"I'm not working this case. I'm going to find Teresa. We're too close to take our focus off of this." Jane said.

"We don't have a choice Jane. Chief said specifically that he wanted you on the case. There is a 15-year-old girl named Marisa Freeman missing. She didn't come home last night and no one can find her. We'll still go through the list. We can work both; we've done it before." Cho said.

"Not when Teresa was missing, we haven't." Jane said

xXxXxXx

"We'll only have one chance to get him. I'm not sure this is right, involving you in this. I need to protect you." Teresa said.

"I want to do this. It may the only way to get us out of here. We don't know if your friend, Cho or your boyfriend know who this guy is." Marisa said.

"If we do this, you have to promise me that if we knock him out and get him in the cell, you will run if we can't get me free from the bed." Teresa said.

"I can't leave you here Teresa." Marisa said.

"Promise me or we won't do this." said Teresa.

"What if he hurts you or kills you?"

"Marisa, if you get away, you can bring back help. I'll be okay. I'll knock him out again before he can get up. It's the only way if I can't get free." Teresa explained.

"Ok. I promise. I don't like it, but I promise."

xXxXxXx

Rigsby was running down leads and background on Marisa Freeman while Cho, Jane and Van Pelt worked on the list of properties owned by Andrew Dean's father. The property listing was extensive and half the buildings were unoccupied.

"This is insane. Why is Dean a police officer if he has all this property?" Van Pelt asked.

"It's not technically his property. His mother appears to still be alive and the property belongs to her. He may inherit it when she passes away. I guess he has access to all the property, he just doesn't own them." Cho said.

"Is his name on any of the property or is it all still in the father's name?" Jane asked.

"It looks like the only property in his name is his own house. All the other property is still in the father's name." Van Pelt said.

"Where's his mother?" Jane asked.

"In a nursing home close in Rancho Cordova." Van Pelt answered.

"Look for properties in Rancho Cordova. He will be using one of those. He would've stayed close to where people were used to seeing him. He wouldn't stand out to anyone. If people are used to seeing him in the area, they won't remember the times and days he was there." Jane said.

"There are six properties in Rancho Cordova. One apartment complex, occupied, a factory that is being rented for storage, and the other four buildings are unoccupied warehouses or factories." Van Pelt said.

"We have it narrowed down to four then." Jane said. "Can we get aerial views of those properties?" Jane asked.

"Yes. I can do that." Van Pelt said.

"What are you looking for on aerial views?" Cho asked.

"I want to see how open or secluded the properties are. See what's around them. I want to make sure we make the best possible choice for which one to hit first. If he's watching or has someone watching, he'll move Lisbon before we get there if we choose the wrong one first. Jane said.

"Let's see the aerial views." Cho said.

xXxXxXx

Teresa heard the door opening. She shook Marisa, who had fallen asleep. Marisa stayed laying down. Teresa stood up and walked over to the cell wall facing the door.

"Hey, she needs help. There's something wrong. I think it may be her appendix." Teresa said.

"Let her die." the man said.

"If you wanted her to die, you would have killed her when you found her outside." Teresa said.

"I don't have time for this right now. Your boyfriend is trying to screw things up for me, but it won't work. I'll kill him first. I might just go ahead and kill you now. Get this over with. I'm starting to lose interest." the man said. Teresa could tell he was angry. Maybe this was the break they needed. With his mind on something else, he may be easier to throw off.

"I don't care about that right now. She needs help. You have to help her." Teresa urged.

Marisa was moaning and moving around on the bed. She was playing her part well. Teresa could hear the man walking closer to the cell.

"I'm not stupid. I not buying this." he said, although Teresa could hear he wasn't committed to that stand.

"What are you not buying? She's running fever and throwing up. She has pain in her right side. That sounds like appendicitis to me." Teresa said.

"Well I can't just go drop her off at a hospital. She'll talk to the police." he said.

"No she won't. I made her promise to forget about you. Her name is Marisa Freeman. If she talks you will be able to find her later. That shows good faith on my part. Please just take care of her, I don't care what you do to me." Teresa said.

"Have her come over here." he said

"I can help her walk over to you. You can take her from there." Teresa said.

"Fine. But I want to see your hands at all times. If you try anything or I think you're going to try something, I'll kill you and then I'll leave here and kill Patrick Jane. If she talks, I'll kill Jane before the police have a chance to find me. He's being watched at all times." he said.

"Okay, I agree to that, just help her."

Teresa walked over to the bed and helped Marisa up. She had to make it appear the girl was having problems. When Marisa stood up, she bent over crying out in pain. Teresa leaned down to help her up.

"You have the metal stick?" Teresa whispered. They had been able to work one of the metal slats on the bed loose. They would use it as a weapon.

"What's taking so long? I don't have all day. I need to be somewhere. I have food and water for you. Walk her over here and I'll pull the water and food against the cell so you can reach it." the man said.

Teresa heard him walking towards the door. When she heard him open the door, she moved Marisa closer to the cell wall.

"Okay, remember when he opens the door and reaches in for you, swing hard. You have to hit him hard enough to make him fall. Then if he moves, hit him again." Teresa whispered.

"I remember." Marisa said.

"When he goes down run over to the table and find a tool to help me undo the chain. I think I saw a pair of bolt cutters. If I did, we should be able to cut the chain quickly and get out of here. If you can't, run like hell to get out of here and contact Agent Cho." Teresa stated.


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay, here it is, the last chapter. This is much longer than the other chapters, with an epilogue at the end. There was just no good place to split it without disrupting the flow and the epilogue wasn't long enough for its own chapter. Thank you to everyone who has continue to the end! Hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 21

"Here are the aerial views for the first factory." Van Pelt said.

Jane and Cho leaned over the conference table to review the photo. It showed a building surrounded on two sides by active businesses. The other two sides were bordered by woods.

"This one is a maybe until we see the other three. The active businesses wouldn't give him the ability to come and go at all hours without being seen. I guess he could come through the woods." Cho said.

"I agree. However, Dean doesn't strike me as the kind to be walking through the woods. Even to carry out his plan." Jane said.

"Here's the next photo." said Van Pelt.

"This one is definitely not it. Surrounded on all four sides by active businesses. He could come and go at night at will, but not during the day. He needed to be able to come and go as his schedule allows him to." Jane said.

"That's good, we're down to three." Cho said.

When Van Pelt had the next two photos, she handed them to Jane. Jane and Cho started reviewing the last two photos. Both looked like good prospects.

"This one looks like it could be a possibility. It's surrounded by a fence that's hard to see through. The driveway is to the side, away from any active businesses. It's also surrounded by three closed businesses. This other one also looks like a possibility. It's also surrounded on three sides by closed businesses and at the end of the street." Jane said.

"So we have three possibilities. It won't take that much time go through all three places." Cho said.

"My concern is, if we go through all these places, we might alert Dean we're onto him. If that happens, he'll move Teresa and we could lose her. If we do this, we can't take in a full tactical team. He may have someone at one of the businesses watching out for him." Jane said.

"That could happen if anyone pulls up to those businesses. I don't see much difference between just us and a full tact team." Cho said.

"We can come in through the woods on this one." Jane said, picking up the first photo. "We can come in through the most obscure sides of the other two."

Jane and Cho continued to look at the photos, mapping out how they would approach each of the three buildings. Both giving their pros and cons of each idea.

"Cho. I have some information on the missing girl, Marisa Freeman." Rigsby said.

"Is it something you and Van Pelt can handle? We're trying to nail down a plan to go through the three businesses that are the most promising to finding Lisbon." Cho asked.

"Yeah. We could handle it." Rigsby said.

"What leads do you have right now? I should probably at least know where we're at if I have to go to a briefing." Cho asked.

"Marisa Freeman is fifteen, lives with her mother and step-father. Her step-father works at the airport as a mechanic and her mother is an LPN at a nursing home. Her mother's brother is the councilman who requested our assistance. Mom says Marissa likes to go on long walks but she never came back from her walk yesterday." Rigsby answered.

"Did she say where she usually walks? Maybe you and Van Pelt can drive over there and trace the area where she walks. See if anything seems out of place." Cho said.

"Yeah. She said Marisa's grandfather used to work at a furniture place that repaired furniture and resold it. It shut down years ago but Marisa likes to go by there to feel close to her grandfather. It's at 835 Chamberlin Street. We could go…" Rigby was explaining.

"Wait! What was that address?" Jane said quickly.

"835 Chamberlin Street." Rigsby said.

"That's one of the three addresses owned by Dean's father. One that's on the list to be searched." Jane said excitedly.

"Do you think there's a possible connection? I mean, that would seem like a real stretch don't you think." Cho stated.

"No, I don't." Jane said, running towards the elevators.

xXxXxXx

"Walk her over here and then step back. If you even look like you're moving this way, I WILL shoot her." the man instructed.

"I understand." Teresa said.

Teresa helped Marisa walk to the cell wall. When the girl grabbed hold of the bars, Teresa moved back towards the bed. She couldn't see the metal rod in Marisa's hand so that was good, he shouldn't be able to see it either.

The man took his gun out of his holster and held it in his left hand. He unlocked the cell door with his right hand and slowly started to open it. He kept his back to the door.

"Step out here. Slowly." he said.

Marisa took two steps and bent over, crying out in pain. She gripped the metal rod, ready to strike as soon as he moved closer.

"Hurry up! I don't have all day." the man said.

"Hang on just a minute. The pain is…is going away." Marisa said.

"She's hurting, give her a minute." Teresa said.

"Shut up!" he said.

The man bent forward to grab Marisa's arm to pull her out of the cell. She knew he would be off balance and she made her move. She quickly raised the metal rod and swung it as hard as she could. The rod made contact with the man's head. He dropped to the floor, grabbing the back of his head, causing the gun to fly across the floor.

Teresa was able to grab the gun. She couldn't believe their luck, the gun sliding close to her. She never thought it would work out that well. Marisa ran out of the cell and towards the work bench. She rummaged through the tools, but couldn't find the bolt cutters Teresa thought she saw.

"It can't find them Teresa. I don't see anything here to help us." Marisa said.

"You need to get out of here. Grab the keys out of the cell door and close it. Take them with you. Call Agent Cho, give him the keys. I have the gun. I can keep him under control until the police get here." Teresa said with force.

"What if he overpowers you? You're chained to the bed." Marisa answered back.

"I'll shoot him if I have to. Just go. I'll be fine. He won't be able to get out of here."

Marisa looked back at Teresa and the cell. She ran to the cell door, grabbed the keys and shut the door. Teresa could tell Marisa was having a hard time. She knew Marisa didn't want to leave.

"Go. Please. It's the only way, Marisa." Teresa said softly.

Marisa stood still for a split second. Then she turned around and ran to the door warehouse door. She looked back one last time and closed the door. Once outside, she looked around. It was dark. She needed to be careful in case there was someone else outside helping the man. She made her way around the side of the building. She would run along the fence line and make her way to the street. If everything looked clear, she would run home.

xXxXxXx

"How much longer?" Jane asked.

"About five minutes. We're close." Cho answered, knowing Jane was wound tight. He could see him rubbing his hands together.

"What if this isn't connected?" Rigsby asked.

"It is. I don't believe in coincidences. If I did, this would be too much of one. It's connected." Jane answered.

Cho really hoped Jane was right. He knew Jane was convinced they would find Teresa in the warehouse. He wasn't sure what was going to happen if she wasn't in that warehouse. Jane may just lose it.

xXxXxXx

Marisa ran the length of one side of the fence. She stood still for a minute, listening for any indication of another person. When she didn't hear anything, she ran the length of the next side of the fence. She stopped short of going out the gate and onto the street. Once she was on the street, she would be out in the open for anyone to see.

She peeked around the corner of the gate. She could see headlights heading towards her. She'd wait until the vehicle passed before taking a chance of leaving the safety of the fencing. She continued to watch as the vehicle got closer. She wished she'd brought the metal rod with her. She would've had a weapon if she was confronted by anyone.

She worried about leaving Teresa in the warehouse with the man. He'd be angry when he came to and he would take it out on her new friend. She knew Teresa had the gun, but she was chained to the bed and couldn't move as easily as he could.

She looked again and saw the vehicle was getting close, then it turned off its' lights. That wasn't normal. Who turned off their lights unless they were up to something? She moved back into the shadows of the fence and waited. There were actually two vehicles. One pulled up outside the fence, a couple of car lengths from the gate. The other quickly turned into the driveway and pulled behind the fence, out of view of anyone on the street.

She watched as two people got out of the vehicle that had pulled into the warehouse driveway. Then, through the fence, she could see two more people get out of the vehicle on the street. The two from the street jogged into the yard and joined the other two.

xXxXxXx

Cho cut the lights of their vehicle as they quickly pulled into the driveway of the warehouse. They would be hidden by the fencing. Rigsby and Van Pelt cut their lights and pulled a couple of car lengths up the street from the fence. When they got out of their vehicle, they jogged up the driveway to meet up with Cho and Jane.

"Okay. Rigsby come with me. We'll go in first. Van Pelt, you stay out here. Watch for anyone coming in the fence or from around the building. Cover us if you hear gunfire. Jane, you stay out here." Cho instructed everyone.

When Cho didn't hear Jane respond, he tried again, a little louder. "Jane? Did you hear me? You stay out here. When we're clear inside, I'll call you."

Just as Jane was about to answer Cho, he heard a rustling sound behind him and to the right. He turned around and saw a young girl slowly coming out of the shadows. He could tell she was terrified.

"Jane? Patrick Jane?" the girl asked.

xXxXxXx

Teresa stood by the bed with her back to the cell wall. She had the gun pointed at the man lying on the floor. He hadn't moved since Marisa hit him and knocked him down. She was hoping he'd remain where he was until Cho and the team could get here. That was assuming Marisa was able to get away and get to a phone. She also knew that it would be at least thirty minutes before anyone would arrive just based on where Marisa said they were and how far it was to the CBI office. Again, that was assuming Cho was at the CBI.

Teresa thought she heard a vehicle outside. She didn't remember hearing a car any of the times the man showed up. She was probably just imagining it, given the circumstances. She glanced towards the door, taking her eyes off the man on the floor. Before she could react, the man was up and on top of her.

xXxXxXx

"Yes. I'm Patrick Jane. Are you Marisa?" Jane asked.

"Yes. Are you Teresa's boyfriend?" she asked.

Jane's heart skipped a beat. "Yes. You know Teresa?"

"You have to go in there now! I knocked the man out, but he and Teresa are locked in the cell together. She has his gun, but she's chained to the bed. Please help her!" Marisa said.

Cho and Rigsby ran towards the door to the warehouse. Van Pelt motioned for Jane and Marisa to get on the other side of the vehicle, out of sight.

"She's okay Mr. Jane. She took care of me and she talked about you. She loves you, you know?" Marisa said.

"Yes, Marisa. I do know. Thank you for taking care of her. You had to be brave to knock him out." Jane said.

"Teresa made me leave. She made me leave her there. I didn't want to. I…I couldn't find anything to cut the chain off of her leg."

"It really is okay. We're here now. We'll get her out." Jane said, hoping what he was saying was true.

 **xXxXxXx**

As Cho and Rigsby opened the door they could hear scuffling, the sound of people fighting. They ran towards the sound, shining their flashlights as they ran. As they got closer to the sound, they saw Teresa and Dean fighting. Dean had Teresa pinned to the bed, one hand on her throat. She was holding a gun above her head and he was trying to get the gun, while holding her down with his other hand.

"Freeze Dean. Let her go and get down on the floor!" Cho yelled.

Dean didn't appear to hear him. He continued to wrestle with Teresa.

"Dean, I said stop. Stop and get down on the floor now or I will shoot you. Believe me, I won't have a problem doing it. Just give me a reason." Cho said angrily.

Dean stopped trying to get the gun, but he didn't take his hand off of Teresa's throat or her arm holding the gun. He stood still. Teresa wasn't fighting him any longer.

"I could kill her before you get in here." Dean said.

"Do you really want to play it that way Dean? A bullet can leave my gun and enter your brain before you take her life. You really want to try me? I said, let her go and get on the floor, face down with your fingers laced behind your head." Cho stated.

Cho waited a few seconds and was about to pull the trigger when Dean let go of Teresa and started to get down on the floor. Teresa started to stand up, but before she could sit all the way up, Dean lunged for her. She was able to get the gun up and pull the trigger.

xXxXxXx

Jane heard the sound of a gun. He stood up and ran towards the building. Marisa right behind him.

"Jane. Wait." Van Pelt yelled. However, she knew it wouldn't do any good.

Jane ran inside the door and stopped. It was dark, but he saw what he assumed were Cho and Rigsby's flashlights.

"Cho?" Jane enquired loudly.

"Jane. It's okay. Come this way." Cho yelled out.

Marisa and Van Pelt entered the door behind Jane and stopped.

"Cho said we could come in." Jane said and started walking towards the flashlight beams. Marisa followed him.

"Van Pelt? See if you can find a light switch and get us some light." Cho instructed.

Jane heard Cho radio for an ambulance. He stopped. Was it Teresa? It couldn't be or Cho wouldn't have told him to come in. He started walking again. He got to a structure that looked like a jail cell. Inside, he saw Cho and Rigsby leaning over the body of Andrew Dean. Cho was administering CPR and Rigsby was taking turns with him.

Jane walked in the cell and saw Teresa sitting on a metal bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, watching Cho and Rigsby.

"Mr. Jane? Here are the keys to the chain on Teresa's leg. I was able to get them from the man when I knocked him out." Marisa said and walked back to the door.

Jane took the keys and walked over to the bed where Teresa was sitting. He reached down and picked up the chain, looking for the lock. He sat down beside Teresa and reached out for her foot that the chain was attached too. He unlocked the lock and threw it on the floor. He gently reached out and pulled Teresa to him and enveloped her in a hug. She was tense at first, but then she relaxed and hugged him back fiercely, sobbing.

"It's okay Teresa. You're okay." Jane said soothingly.

Teresa continued to sob. Jane knew she needed to cry all her fear, anger, frustration and relief out. He knew she would speak when she was ready. Once her sobs stopped and turned to crying hiccups, she pulled back and looked up at him.

"I thought you were in jail. I thought you believed I was dead." she said.

"I was only in jail for a short time. I…I only believed you were dead for a minute, then I felt you, here." Jane said, taking Teresa's hand and placing it over his heart. "I felt you alive. I knew you weren't dead." This made Teresa start crying all over again.

"Cho, I'm taking her outside." Jane said as he helped Teresa stand up.

"Marisa! Where is Marisa? Did she call you? She wasn't gone long enough for you to get here. She helped me." Teresa said.

"She's here. She's fine. It's a long story how we found this place. We found her as she was leaving." Jane explained.

Jane and Teresa walked out of the cell and towards the door. When Marisa saw Teresa she ran up and hugged her.

"Teresa. You're okay. I'm so glad it all worked out." Marisa said, continuing to hug her.

"Thank you Marisa. I'm glad you were so brave." Teresa said.

"Boss, glad to see you're okay." Van Pelt said.

"Thanks Van Pelt. For everything." Teresa said.

Cho joined them. "He's dead. Serves him right, he got what he desired."

"He got better than he desired." Jane said.

"Van Pelt. You and Jane take Teresa and Marisa back to the CBI. Call Marisa's parents and let them know we found her and that she's alright. Rigsby and I will stay here and deal with all the fallout. Let the director know we found Teresa and she's okay." Cho instructed.

xXxXxXx

Marisa's parents picked her up at the CBI shortly after receiving Van Pelt's call. They were so happy to have her safely back and assured everyone they would make Marisa available for questioning at any time she was needed.

As soon as Marisa and her parents left, Jane and Teresa were alone in her office. They sat down on the couch and Jane put his arm around her. She laid her head on his shoulder and hugged his waist. She closed her eyes and savored the feel of being in his arms.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jane asked.

"No."

"Okay. When you're ready." he said. He pulled the light blanket from the back of the couch and covered her up. It didn't take long before he heard her breathing change and he knew she'd fallen asleep.

Cho stepped in the door a while later. Jane nodded his head in acknowledgement and then shook his head. He knew Cho understood Jane didn't want Teresa to be disturbed. Cho turned around, closed the door and left.

Jane would sit just as they were, as long as took for Teresa to get the sleep she needed. Their nightmare was finally over.

 **Epilogue-Three days later**

Jane and Teresa were lying in bed. Teresa hadn't wanted to be around anybody, so they'd spent every minute of the last three days either in bed or on the couch. They ordered food so they hadn't even cooked. Patrick wanted to do whatever Teresa needed to deal with what had happened. He'd talked to Cho several times and he knew she was going to have to answer some questions soon, but Cho had told them to take the weekend and they would deal with it on Monday.

However, today was Sunday. She hadn't wanted to talk about it. He was starting to worry about her. She needed to talk about what happened. He needed to break the ice, so to speak.

"Nice welding job." Patrick said.

"What?" Teresa asked.

"I said, nice welding job."

"Oh. So you found it." she said, sheepishly.

"Not really. I told Cho I was going up there to think and he said 'No'. When I questioned him about it he said it wouldn't do any good even if he let me because you'd welded the door shut. Thank you." Patrick explained.

"Thank you? You're thanking me?" Teresa asked.

"Yes. You knew what I needed or what I would need, if I started down that road again. So, thank you. It was a way to say you love me." he said.

"I do." she said.

"I do too."

"You love you? I always figured that." Teresa said with a slight laugh.

"Ha. Ha. It's good to hear you laugh." Patrick said.

Teresa dropped her head. "I know you think I should talk about it. I'm okay. Really. I just needed some time with you."

"You feel guilty. You shouldn't." he said.

Teresa didn't say anything. She just looked at her hands. He knew she felt like it was her fault that he'd been arrested and put in jail. He had to make her see that none of what had happened was her fault in any way. It was the fault of a paranoid, revengeful, sociopath.

"None of this was your fault. You have to understand that." Patrick said.

"You, Patrick Jane, are telling me not to feel guilty, it wasn't my fault? Really? I believe I said that to you on so many occasions and you never listened. So how is this any different?" Teresa asked angrily.

Good, thought Patrick. Anger was a good response. Once she worked through her anger, she could start dealing with how she was feeling.

"Touché. I know I wasn't always good at believing that, but the longer you said it, the more I started to believe it. So, the longer I say it to you, the more you'll start to believe it. Even if I have to get punched in the nose or threatened with being shot!" he said smiling.

Teresa looked up at him with tears in her eyes. His smile always made her feel better. She just couldn't shake the guilt she felt for what he went through that started because of something in her past. She knew it was irrational to think he would resent her for what happened, but she couldn't help thinking it might.

"I don't resent you for what happened." he said.

"Dammit, Jane. I hate when you do that." Teresa said, although he could tell she wasn't really mad.

"You need to know I don't resent you and I never will. What happened wasn't your fault and you had no control over it." Patrick said.

"Logically I know that, but for some reason I can't get my heart and head to believe it." she said.

"What can I do to make your heart and head accept it?" he asked.

"I don't know. I guess just time, maybe." she said.

"I think I have a better idea. Wait right here." Patrick said, running downstairs, two steps at a time.

When he returned to the bedroom, Teresa saw he had a smile on his face. She didn't ever remember seeing the look he had on his face before. He appeared more…more…more what, she couldn't decide.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"I didn't do anything." he answered with that same look and smile.

"You have this look on your face that I haven't seen before. What is it?" she said.

"I'm just happy. That's all."

"You've been really happy since we started living together. Haven't you or was I wrong?"

"Oh no, my love I have been happy, very happy." he said.

"Then why this new look of happy? I'm confused." she asked, a little leery about what he was talking about.

"I asked you what I could do to make your heart and head accept that I didn't resent you. You said you didn't know and I told you I had a way. Here's the way." Patrick said, as he pulled the black velvet box out of his pajama pocket and opened it.

Teresa's hand flew to her mouth and tears started rolling down her cheeks. She looked at the ring in the velvet box. She slowly lifted her head to look at Patrick. She could see and now understand the new look of happiness on his face.

"Well. Are you going to give me your answer?" he asked.

"You haven't asked me a question yet." she answered with a small laugh.

Jane looked at Teresa and laughed too, as he took the ring from the velvet box. "Teresa, will you marry me?" Patrick asked as he placed the finger on her hand.

"Yes. Of course, yes." Teresa said. Once the finger was on her finger she pulled Patrick to her, giving him a long, soft, kiss and hug.

"I love you." Patrick said.

"I love you too." Teresa said. "Did uh…did my kidnapping have something to do with this?" she asked looking down at her gorgeous ring.

"No! Absolutely not. I bought the ring before it happened. I was planning to ask you the weekend you were taken. I asked you because I want you to be my wife not because I thought I might lose you." Jane said.

Teresa dropped her head. "Thank you. I mean, I'm glad…I mean…I'm…I love you too."

"I understand." he said. He knew she needed to know he asked her to marry him because he loved her, not out of a desperate need to hold on to her.

"I…I know I'm going to have to talk about this tomorrow. I just don't…I just don't understand why all this happened. I mean, I know what he said, but I can't believe he did it because he wanted revenge. It just seems crazy that he would wait more than ten years." Teresa said.

Jane didn't want to interrupt her. He knew she needed to get it all out. He wanted her to do that here, with him first, before she was grilled by authorities.

"He didn't do anything to me." she continued. "He said he was going to torture me by sending you to prison for my murder and kidnapping. He made me watch a video of you being arrested…I…I…" she started to cry.

"It's over. He didn't get what he wanted and he's dead. We, you and me, move on. We get married, build our lives and maybe have a family." Jane said.

"You…you want that again? Are you sure?" Teresa asked, surprised and happy.

"I do. I will admit, I didn't think I did, but this situation did have something to do with changing my mind about that. Well not changing my mind really, but deciding I did actually want it again. With you." Patrick explained.

Teresa hugged Patrick tightly. She knew she'd loved him for a long time, but now, the thought of having everything with him was more than she could imagine.

"Uh, want to start working on that family now?" Teresa asked seductively.

"Now? Really?" Patrick asked.

Teresa laughed at the look on his face. "Well, we don't have to succeed today, but as the old saying goes, 'Practice makes perfect.'"

"Oh we may need a whole lot of practice." Patrick says, turning off the light and snuggling down in the covers to start practicing.


End file.
